Remember Me: A Story Of Redemption
by Ghostwriter71
Summary: Things were going well for Daphne. She had just started dating. Her little sister was adapting well to school life. She had a small but close circle of friends. But then, just before the summer holidays, one of her friends announced to the world that Voldermort had returned. And her father's nightmares began again...
1. Chapter 1: The Woman Crying In The Dark

**THE WOMAN CRYING IN THE DARK**

"**AND NOW TO SEE YOUR LOVE SET FREE,**

**YOU WILL NEED THE WITCH'S CABIN KEY.**

**FIND THE LADY OF THE LIGHT, GONE MAD IN THE NIGHT;**

**THAT'S HOW YOU RESHAPE DESTINY…"**

**-"The Poet and the Muse"**

It was the same room. It was always the same room. Or what could barely be called a room. The same guttering candle perched in an alcove of the rocky wall, casting disturbing shapes around the cramped space, and providing next to no light. The same wooden posts tied together with leather that passed for a bed, covered by a ragged, moldy blanket. The walls were damp with moisture, water trickling down in slow but endless streams. A distant roaring sound that might have been a storm tossed ocean. Closer at hand, he heard the random shrieks and wails from beyond the room. And the cold…oh, the oppressive, omnipresent chill that seeped into your very bones, sucking any and all warmth out of your body, and perhaps out of your very soul.

The stench of the place was overwhelming, his hand moving without conscious thought to cover his nose and mouth as he fought down the gag building in his throat. Then there was the sadness! The prevailing sense of mind crushing depression that hung in the air like a living thing. And again, the thought came to his mind: "This…this must surely be Hell!"

Then the whispering and muttering and sobbing. That was always there, too. The frantic whisperings and mutterings, broken by heart wrenching sobs, farthest back in the corner and away from the light of the flickering candle. He could never see the person clearly; all he could make out was the vague, shadowy figure of someone curled up against the wall, their legs tucked up under their chin. The person rocked back and forth as they muttered and sobbed. From the pitch of the voice it sounded like a woman.

"They left me…._he _left me…so cold…so cold…where am I? Why am I here? They _left _me…they_ left_ me! Is this death? Am I dead? Why…why did he leave me? What time is it? Where are my sisters? They left me…he left me…it's so cold….where am I? I'm dead…I'm dead…"

Then the head of the person slowly turned. He saw a pair of eyes gleam in the dying candlelight as whoever it was looked right at him. The rocking stopped for a moment, and he heard a sharp intake of breath. One word in a barely heard whisper: "You?" He heard the longing, the desire, the earnest hope in that one word, and for some reason it broke his heart. But after staring at him for a moment, the eyes turned away, and the rocking resumed. "No!" The voice hissed. "No! Not you! You left me too! They took me away from you! You're not here…you're not here…it's just a dream, like always. Just a dream…"

Next moment there was an ear splitting scream that sounded as it if came from the Abyss itself, and William Greengrass bolted up in bed yelling, "NO!" The scream faded as his sleep-addled brain woke further, and as he glanced wildly around, his breath coming in rapid gasps, the familiar sights of his bedroom came into focus. The pounding of his heart slowed, and his breath evened out. He sighed deeply while his head sank into his hands.

There was a knock, and the door opened, letting in the light from the hallway outside. A house elf stood in the doorway casting a fearful look into the room. In a hesitant voice it asked, "Is…is Master alright? Can Lizzy get Master anything?"

William sighed once more. "I'm alright, Lizzy. But would you bring me some tea, please?"

"Is too early for Master's tea," the elf replied, concern evident in her voice. "Is only 3:30 in the morning."

"I know. But I would still like the tea, please, Lizzy." The elf bowed and disappeared.

William sighed yet again, and dragged himself out of bed. Wrapping a blanked around his shoulders, he pulled a chair in front of the fireplace and collapsed onto it, his eyes fixated by the dancing flames. He knew there would be no further sleep for him that night. It was the same, had been the same every night for going on six weeks now. The nightmare, that filthy room, the person rocking in the shadows. him waking with a yell, drenched in sweat. It was always the same. The only thing that changed was the random whisperings and mutterings of whoever the person in the shadows was.

Try as he might, he couldn't shake the irrational fear that he was witnessing his beloved wife suffering in hell. But no! If anyone on earth deserved to _not_ go to hell, it was his Mary. A kinder, more gentle soul did not exist. There was no way that was a vision of Mary in hell. But then, who was it? Who could he have such a connection with that he would be forced to witness their everlasting torment?

Lizzy reappeared soon with a steaming cup of tea, and after thanking her, she disappeared again, a look of worry on her face. But William didn't notice. Sipping the tea, he again tried to make some sense out of it all as the hours ticked past unnoticed, while the darkness slipped away and dawn broke over the distant horizon…

When Daphne Greengrass and her sister Astoria made their way downstairs for breakfast several hours later, William had yet to make an appearance.

"Good morning, Lizzy!" Daphne greeted the elf with a smile.

"What's for breakfast, Lizzy?" Astoria asked as she plopped into a chair at the table in the kitchen. The family only used the dining room for parties and other more formal occasions, preferring to sit at the smaller kitchen table when it was just the three of them.

The two girls were in good spirits, as their return to school was only a week away, and their father had promised to take them shopping for their school items that afternoon. And this year would be different, as Daphne had started dating someone near the end of the last term. So she had even more reason to be excited about returning to Hogwarts.

"Breakfast is eggs and toast and bacon, Miss. But Master is not here yet." Daphne turned to the elf with a frown, noting the tone of worry in her voice. "What's the matter, Lizzy? Is something wrong with father?"

Lizzy was on the brink of tears and was tugging on her ears in misery. "Oh, Miss, Master has been having horrible dreams for weeks! Lizzy always checks on him and brings him tea after he yells."

Daphne and Astoria shot looks at each other. Astoria looked on the verge of panicking, and Daphne couldn't hide the frown that spread across her face at Lizzy's words.

"It's happening again!" Astoria whispered, running to her sister and burying her face in Daphne's shoulder. Daphne wrapped her arms around Astoria and shuddered. Astoria was just old enough to remember the horrific weeks and months after their mother died. Their father would lock himself away in his room or his office for days, and every night they'd hear him yelling in his sleep. Things had gotten so bad for a while that Andromeda Tonks, an old friend of their father from his school years, had come to stay and take care of the girls. Their father had never been mean or violent to them, but he had been so overcome with grief at the passing of their mother that he could barely function.

Astoria started to cry.

"Shhh, Tori. It will be okay." But Daphne wasn't certain that it would, in fact, be ok. She was trying to calm Astoria down, and reassure her. Indeed, she was trying to reassure herself as well. Their father had been fine for many years, once the acute pain of their mother's death had passed. And though she loved her father dearly, she was still angry with him for leaving the two of them to grieve on their own while his mind collapsed in on itself struggling with his depression.

She couldn't deal with it on her own, she knew that. And she would not leave her father in this state in an empty house once she and Astoria went back to school. Lizzy said their father had been having nightmares for weeks. Not a good sign. Daphne made a decision. Turning to Lizzy, she asked the elf to go upstairs and check on her father. Once the elf disappeared, Daphne grabbed a handful of powder from the mantle and tossed it into the fireplace. "Andromeda Tonks," she stated.

Lizzy appeared outside her master's bedroom and timidly opened the door, knocking on it as she did so. Sticking her head inside the room, she saw William slumped in his chair, the empty tea cup sitting on the floor beside him. A very soft snore escaped him.

"Master?" Lizzy called in a very soft voice. "Master, is you okay?"

Getting no response, she took a few hesitant steps into the room, cleared her throat, and tried again, a little louder this time. "Master? Is you okay?"

William snorted and jerked upright in the chair. He smacked his lips and mumbled something as he scratched his head. He noticed Lizzy peering at him with a look of worry on her face.

"Oh, Lizzy. Yes, what is it?"

"Is time for Master to be getting up, sir," Lizzy replied, still sounding worried and nervous.

"Hmm?" William mumbled. He glanced at the window, and noticed the sunlight shining around the edges of the thick curtains. "Oh, um, what time is it?" He frowned. "For that matter, what _day_ is it?"

The look of concern and fear on Lizzy's face increased. "Oh, poor master is sick!" She wailed. "He doesn't know that it's Tuesday! You was promising to take the young Misses to the Alley today to be getting their school things!" She began pulling on her ears in dismay again.

"I did, didn't I?" He rubbed his face, leaning forward in his chair. "What time is it?" He asked again.

"Is almost Nine on the clock, Master. The Misses are waiting for Master at the table to eats breakfast."

He groaned. "Would you be so kind as to go make me some coffee, please, Lizzy?" A day of shopping with his daughters required him to be at one hundred percent efficiency. He had a tendency to spoil them, which Astoria was always keen to take advantage of. He did not look forward to spending hour after hour trudging through shops, but he knew that was what the day held in store for him. And he did love spending time with his daughters. He had a lot of lost time to make up for. Besides, soon they would be gone, and his life would be empty again.

"Yes, Master. Lizzy goes and makes coffee." With one last look of worry, she exited the room, closing the door behind her.

William sighed and stood up. "OW!" His neck was stiff and his back sore, and he frowned down at where'd he'd been sitting. "Serves me right for falling asleep in a chair. I'm getting old." He shook his head and got dressed.

Ten minutes later he staggered down the stairs, still half asleep. The aroma of fresh coffee guided him towards the kitchen. Upon entering the room, the smell of the coffee drew him to the stove. "Ahh, coffee," he muttered, smiling.

As he reached the table, he kissed the top of the blonde haired head. "Morning, sweetheart."

"Good morning, father," Daphne replied.

Taking a couple steps, William kissed the top of the dark-haired head. "Morning, sweetheart."

"Morning, daddy," Astoria replied.

Taking a couple more steps, he kissed the top of the brown-haired head. "Morning, sweetheart."

"Good morning ,William. Although my husband might take exception with you calling me 'sweetheart'."

William came to such a sudden stop that he nearly tripped over his own feet. He spun around and took a few steps back towards the table. He squinted his eyes and peered at the person smirking back at him. It was a few moments before recognition penetrated his still half asleep brain.

"Andi?! What in the world are _you _doing here?!"

Andromeda snorted a laugh. "Well, it's nice to see you, too, William!"

"Uhhh," the man ground out, squeezing his eyes shut and pinching the bridge of his nose. "I apologize, Andi. That came out wrong. I just meant, why are you here so early? Did we have some sort of appointment? Oh, it's too early for me to think." He collapsed into the remaining empty chair at the head of the table, and gratefully accepted the cup of coffee that Lizzy handed to him.

Andromeda sighed. "No, William. We do not have an appointment today. Your daughters were…concerned about you, that's all."

Pausing to speak in the midst of gulping down the hot coffee, William asked, "What? Concerned about me? What on earth for?" Then he resumed gulping his coffee. Setting the cup down, his brain began to clear and he shot his daughters a quizzical glance.

The two girls shot their own glances at Andromeda, who smiled and sent them an encouraging nod of her head.

Astoria looked at her father. "We…" But her voice trailed off, and she looked down at her plate.

"We know about the dreams, father," Daphne said, her face tight with worry.

William frowned. "Dreams?"

Both girls nodded, Astoria still staring at her plate.

Realization dawned on William."You mean, you thought…you thought it was like before?"

His daughters both nodded again, and he was overcome with guilt.

"Oh, my darling girls, I am so sorry!" He stood and hurried around the table, taking them both in his arms as they each turned to face him. Astoria buried her face in his chest and sobbed. "Oh, Astoria, don't cry. I promise it's not that! I've probably just been working too hard. It's not like it was before."

Daphne hugged her father, squeezing her eyes shut to keep the tears from escaping. She believed him, to an extent. She knew her father would never allow himself to go back to the morbid depression he had fought his way through. Nor would he ever again neglect her or her sister. But she also knew he had never gotten over the loss of their mother.

Ever since Mary Greengrass had died, William was changed. Besides the obvious state of mind he had been in immediately after her passing. He was somewhat colder in demeanor; his voice had a harder edge to it and he was much more reclusive. Daphne could see in his eyes that something was missing. To his daughters, he had actually become warmer and more responsive, spending as much time with them as he could. But to others he had become much more distant. The balls and parties at the Greengrass estate had been the stuff of legends for generations, continuing right up to Daphne's lifetime. People from both sides of the political divide were invited. It was safe at the Greengrass home. But those days were long gone. They had died with her mother. There was no Lady Greengrass any longer. And Daphne believed there never would be, until she herself became Lady Greengrass.

Her family, though pureblood and thus holding to certain pureblood ideals (although not quite as fanatically as some of the darker families did), was famously neutral…almost infamously so. Her grandfather, after coming upon a small skirmish taking place on his lands during the last war, had killed everyone on both sides of the conflict, Death eaters and Aurors alike, thus firmly establishing the concept that the family's neutrality was not to be compromised.

Her grandfather was a just man, but deadly in combat. Very few had the courage, let alone ability, to stand up to him in a fight. And she knew her father had inherited the same skills in no small measure. He had become one of the leaders of what people called the "neutral block" in the Wizengamot, although he rarely attended meetings these days, leaving most of the work in that body to his lifelong friend Richard Davis, and only attende3d for the most important votes. He left the running of the family business to solicitors, preferring to spend most of his time with his children, or simply walking around the estate. Many times Daphne had found him sitting with his back against a large oak tree, tossing stones into the big pond at the back of their property.

Also, he spent a good deal of time in his study, with the door locked. Once, at the start of the summer holidays, when he had left on a rare errand, he had forgotten to lock the door, and Daphne had slipped inside to try and see what he was up to in there for so many long hours each week. What she found did little to allay her fears. His desk was covered with random pieces of parchment—some in a language she couldn't even begin to identify-along with many books. The titles of the books were what had concerned her: they were, almost exclusively, books dealing with various aspects of dark magic, both on the use of and defense against said magic.

She had not mentioned that detail to Astoria, as the girl was still quite young. But she had worked up the courage to speak to her father about it. At first, he was somewhat upset that she had entered the study without his permission. But when he realized she was concerned—and realized it had been _his _fault, after all, for not locking the door—he calmed down.

"That bastard Voldermortis back," he hissed, gritting his teeth, "despite what those Ministry sycophants at the Prophet say. And I'll be damned if I let another war spill into our family's life! You have to fight fire with fire, Daughter. That old fool headmaster of yours thinks pretty words and simple spells will win the day, but he's wrong. We have to be prepared. And we will be." An almost cruel smile spread across his face. "The filthy vermin won't know what hit them, if they try anything on our land," he muttered. "And neither will those stupid 'Phoenix Feathers', or whatever they call themselves."

Yes, Daphne was worried for her father. He used to actively participate in life whilst their mother was alive. Now…not so much. She was both glad and a bit surprised when he had declared that he would be accompanying them to Diagon Alley.

Her father seemed to echo her thoughts as he let go of his daughters and moved back to his chair. "Now, how about we have breakfast and get ready to go?" He smiled as Lizzy began serving the food.

Astoria's eyes lit up as the fear left them. "Yay! That's more like it! I can't wait for shopping!"

Her father did not seem to share the sentiment to the same extent, and muttered something about "every shop in Diagon Alley" into his refilled coffee cup as he picked up the copy of the Daily Prophet that Lizzy had brought him. Astoria, undeterred, turned to Andromeda. "Can you come too, Aunt Andromeda?" The girl asked, sending the woman in question a pleading look. Astoria knew her father very much disliked shopping."You can help us pick things out, and daddy can carry the bags."

Another unintelligible mutter escaped William as he glared over the top of the paper.

Andromeda hesitated. She loved spending time with the girls, and looked at them as almost daughters of her own. But she thought over the things she had to do that day, finally deciding she should decline the invitation.

"Now Astoria, I'm certain that Mrs. Tonks has things of her own to do," William cut in, interrupting her thoughts. Andromeda's head turned toward William, who must have noticed the movement because he looked up from the paper he was reading. Their gaze met across the table, and William noticed the brief flash of anger that flickered through Andromeda's eyes.

The two adults stared at one another for a long moment: William taking in the woman's face, whilst Andromeda studied the man's eyes. And in that moment, their thoughts were parallel ones. William was thinking, 'Merlin, she looks just like her sister!' While at the same time, Andromeda was thinking, 'He never got over my poor sister.'

William looked away first, realizing he was casting a longing glance at a married woman. Not that he was longing for Andromeda…they were close, but they'd never felt _that way_ about one another. It was just that she looked so much like…

"Yes, Astoria, I think I will accompany you all on your shopping excursion," Andromeda announced, interrupting his thoughts. His eyes found hers again to see her smirking back at him. He frowned, slid down in his seat a bit, and buried his face in the paper once more. This was going to be an interesting, and long, day.

**So yeah. This was an idea that popped into my head on the way to work one morning, and when I arrived at said place of employment, I wrote out an entire page of notes. I don't think it's going to be a very long story. And to all two of you who care, I've not given up on my other story. My Muse must have taken Christmas and New Year's off, because she came roaring back with this one. And when she's on a roll, I need to feed her to keep her going. So yeah…enjoy. Hopefully. **


	2. Chapter 2: Loneliness

"**Tell me, please, who took the flame**

**When seasons pass, and all's the same as yesterday?**

**It's growing cold, it's getting dull, it's growing old…"**

He sat sprawled in a chair, watching the flames dance in the fireplace as the wood hissed and popped. The girls were gone, back at Hogwarts. The house was empty…the house was silent…the house was cold. William had been alright the day he dropped the girls off at Platform 9 ¾. He'd been alright the following day, because he was able to keep himself busy. The next day, it had been more difficult keeping the loneliness at bay. Now, on the fifth day out, the loneliness had broken through his last defenses, and the depression came flooding in with it.

He kept glancing above the fireplace. The bottle of Firewhiskey sitting atop the mantle seemed to be calling his name. Calling for him to drink away the loneliness. Lose himself in drunken oblivion, if even for just one night. He shook his head and tore his gaze from the bottle. He knew that it wouldn't be just one night. It would go on and on until he sunk once again into that hell of depression he'd existed in for so long after Mary died. He couldn't go back there…_wouldn't _go back. His daughters needed him. He'd be damned if he put them through that again.

He sighed and leaned back in the chair. Closing his eyes, his mind drifted for a while until it settled on the trip to Diagon alley a couple weeks ago. It had been nice, he admitted, getting out and about once again. Well, at least that's how the day had started.

_**(flashback)**_

Astoria, eager as ever for anything shopping related, had dragged Daphne and Andromeda by the hands out of the Leaky Cauldron and onto the street behind it. "Here we are! I've got my list with me. Daph, did you bring the one I made for you? We need to hurry, or we'll run out of time!"

Daphne laughed at her sister's antics. "Yes, Tori, I have the list you made." Removing a piece of parchment from the pocket of her robes, she frowned as she perused it, not having looked at it much when Astoria had first given it to her the night before. "Bit much, isn't it? I mean, three different sets of quills, four new robes, another wand, a new cauldron, and six book bags." Daphne paused as her eyes widened and she held the parchment closer to her face. "SIX book bags? _Six_? Why on earth do I need that many book bags?"

Astoria rolled her eyes. "One for each class, silly! That way you can keep everything for all your subjects in its own bag."

Andromeda smiled as Daphne just shook her head. Behind them, William gave another unintelligible mutter.

Andromeda decided to take pity on the man. "Astoria, why don't you and I go get the things on your list, whilst your father helps Daphne with hers? We can meet back here for dinner."

After a minor fit of protesting by Astoria, everyone agreed on the plan. Astoria dragged Andromeda off down the street chattering excitedly, while Daphne and William followed at a much slower pace. "I promise I won't get six book bags, father," Daphne reassured the man, who sighed in relief. Daphne looked sideways at him and smirked. "But I think I would like the four new robes."

William shot her a fearful glance. "What on earth would you need that many robes for?"

Still smirking, Daphne raised her nose a little. "A pureblood heiress should always look her best. One never knows when one will be called upon to render her proper societal etiquette. And different situations demand different outfits." Her smirk increased. "Besides, I'm dating a boy now. I need to always look my best."

William frowned. "Yes, about that. When do I get to meet this elusive boy I keep hearing about yet have never seen? In fact, I don't even know what his name is!" His frown deepened. "It isn't that Malfoy kid, is it? So help me, daughter…if that's who the mystery boy is, I may just disown you!"

Daphne glared at him and stopped walking. "_Father_! Are you _trying_ to make me sick?! I wouldn't stoop as low as to be associated with him!"

William smiled and nodded his head, satisfied with his daughter's answer. "Excellent. I never doubted it for a moment." Daphne gave him one more glare and the pair resumed walking. "Is he a pureblood?"

Daphne sniffed. "Of course."

William smiled and nodded again before turning serious. "You know, daughter, I just want you to be happy. I wouldn't mind if you brought a half-blood home to meet me. He'd be as welcome as a pureblood would."

Daphne smiled, feeling warm inside. "I know, father." She was glad that her father wasn't like other families such as the Blacks and Malfoys who looked with hatred on anyone who wasn't pureblood.

"Is he from a…decent family?" William continued to probe. He would never admit it, but ever since Astoria had told him that her sister was dating, and Daphne had confirmed it, he was keen to know who the boy was.

Daphne smiled. She knew her what her father meant by "decent family": someone from one the neutral or "light" sides. Her father was definitely neutral, but she knew he couldn't stand the majority of the "dark" families. She decided to keep him guessing.

"One of the Sacred Twenty-Eight," she told him, smirk still in place.

This revelation did little to assuage William's concerns. At least half of the so-called "Sacred Twenty-Eight" were from darker families. But then, he held firm to the believe that he had raised his daughters well enough to make good choices when it came to life…including boys. He shuddered. He knew they were both getting to that age when males would start taking interest in them, but thinking of his daughters growing up, with boys chasing after them and trying to win their affections, didn't sit well with him. Though he knew it was inevitable.

Because of what had happened to him and the woman he loved as a teenager, he had decided before even becoming a father that he would not use his children as collateral by binding them into loveless marriages for financial gain or political clout. No, William Greengrass would _not _sell his children the way Cygnus Black had done sowith two of his daughters and disowned the third because she refused to follow her father's orders and had married for love. Even after all the time that had passed, even with the man himself now dead,the level of hatred William felt towards the Black patriarch was not diminished a bit.

He sighed and looked at Daphne. "You're not going to tell me, are you?"

She flashed him a grin and shook her head. "Nope. If you want to find out, you'll have to come and see us off to school next week." He had only taken her to 9 ¾ twice: once for her first year, and again when it was Astoria's first year. The other three times they had just gone with Tracey and her parents. Daphne's father detested crowds.

William sighed again. "Very well. You win. I will accompany you both to the train. I was going to anyway, since Richard won't be able to escort Tracy and her mother, and asked me to escort them."

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur for William…a never ending blur. Shopping with Daphne was not as bad as shopping with Astoria, but it was bad enough. Finally they were done. Daphne and her father were standing across the street from the Leaky Cauldron waiting for Astoria and Andromeda to arrive. William was exhausted, and wanted nothing more than a nice meal in his stomach and then a glass of brandy at home before dropping into bed.

He was also pleased that he had made it through the day with very little from anyone he knew. Only a couple of times, and only for a brief moment, had he run into anyone trying to curry his favor. And he was relieved to be escaping Diagon Alley with relative ease.

Alas, it was not to be.

"Ah, Lord Greengrass, Heiress, Daphne, what a surprise! I'm glad we ran into the both of you!" A loud, silky voice called from behind them. William ground his teeth together and growled under his breath. Daphne's face immediately became a cold, hard, arrogant mask as both she and her father turned to face the owner of the voice.

Lucius Malfoy was approaching them, along with his wife Narcissa and their son Draco. William's eye rested on Narcissa for a lingering moment. _The universe is conspiring against me today, _he thought, _parading the remaining Black sisters through my life in rapid succession._ And while Narcissa didn't resemble her oldest sister as much as Andromeda did, the resemblance was still there.

"Lucius," William ground out between clenched teeth, forcing a smile onto his face that looked more like a pained grimace. "There is no need to be so formal. This isn't an official function, after all. It's just the middle of Diagon Alley." Which, William knew, was exactly why Lucius had chosen to be so loud and haughty. The Malfoys were notorious for their bragging.

"Narcissa, Draco, a pleasure. You both look well." William greeted the other two. Being a pureblood, the niceties of tradition would have to be upheld…especially in public.

Narcissa inclined her head. "William."

Draco bowed stiffly. "Lord Greengrass." Then sneered at Daphne but bowed again. "_Greengrass_."

Daphne returned his sneer with one of her own, and inclined her head. "_Malfoy_."

The curt exchange between the teenagers went unnoticed by Lucius. However, both Narcissa and William did notice it, their eyes meeting for a brief moment before both looked away.

"Indeed," Lucius continued, in the same loud tone of voice. "It has been a long time since I've seen you in official meetings of the Wizengamot. How have you been, my friend? We've been concerned for you due to your absences at the last few meetings."

William couldn't help but bark out a laugh at Lucius use of the word 'friend'. The two men could barely tolerate each other. Lucius had hopes that he cold wrangle a marriage contract with William for Draco to marry Daphne. An event that would _never_ happen. It would give Lucius a much sought after leverage amongst the neutral block. The neutrals might be the smallest of the three groups, but they typically held the power when votes were close, with both sides trying to curry their favor.

Also, William knew that Lucius comment was a veiled reference to the months following Mary's death. It was common knowledge that William had been close to nonfunctional during his time of mourning. Lucius was too arrogant to realize that his attempts at flattery and creating family alliances were offset by his superiority complex. And William had never bothered to point this out to the man.

"Well, I thank you for your concern, Lucius, but I am quite fine. Simply busy spending time with my daughters before they head off to school once more."

"Ahh, yes, soon the young will be safely back in school," Lucius said with a strange smirk on his face that unsettled William somewhat.

As fate would have it, the conversation ended there. An excited Astoria had arrived with Andromeda in tow. The look on Lucius face changed to an expression of complete and utter disdain, bordering on hatred as he caught site of Andromeda.

Andromeda and Narcissa held each other's gaze, and it looked as though the women might speak. But Lucius ended any hope for that as he said in an icy tone of voice, "Ah, the filthy blood traitor has arrived. You bring shame to the noble house of Black!"

Andromeda tore her eyes from Narcissa and glanced at Lucius a moment before lowering her eyes to the pavement.

This incensed William. He took a step closer to Lucius. "I think it would be prudent for you to leave now, Lucius, before I forget we are in public and do something that both of us would regret." William's voice was colder even than Lucius' voice had been, which caused Lucius to gulp. With a quick bow, he and his family turned and walked away at a fast pace.

William had his glare fixed on Lucius retreating figure so he missed the wistful sigh that escaped Astoria, and the look of longing she gave at Draco's retreating back.

Once they had moved away, Narcissa glanced back over her shoulder. William had his hands balled into fists. Daphne was glaring as well. Andromeda was holding Astoria's hand and still looking at the ground. From this distance, Narcissa couldn't help but notice how much Andromeda looked like their older sister. And her heart broke a little at the thought that if her father hadn't been so selfish and stupid and allowed his oldest daughter to chose the path she wanted, it most likely _would_ have been Bella standing there with William and his girls.

Still glaring after the Malfoys, William sighed. "You know something Andi?"

Andromeda glanced up at him. "What, William?"

"It's times like this that I wish your father was still alive."

Andromeda's eyes widened in surprise. "What on earth for?"

"So I could kill him," William said through still clenched teeth. "Then I'd resurrect him, so I could kill him again. And _then_ you know what I'd do?"

"What?" Andromeda whispered, still staring at him.

"I'd resurrect him again, so I could kill him one more time. One time each for what the bastard did to the three of you."

Andromeda put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. Her thought from that morning had just been confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt. After all these years, William was still in love with Bella, though she also suspected that he didn't know it himself.

The day's mood ruined, the Greengrasses and Andromeda turned and entered the pub.

_**(end flashback)**_

The temptation to drink the entire bottle of firewhiskey roared back into William's thoughts, much stronger this time, and his eyes turned towards the mantle once again. 'What's the harm?' he thought to himself. Standing up he approached the mantle.

The fire flared up and a face appeared in the flames. "Hey there, loser! What are you up to this fine Autumn evening?"

Despite the memories he'd just been replaying in his head, William couldn't help but smile at his friend. "Not much, Richard. What about you?"

"Eh, just doing some reading, listening to the wireless." His voice turned serious. "How you holding up, now that the girls are back to school?"

William shrugged. "Same as I do every September when they leave."

Richard shook his head. "Firewhiskey? Not good, Will."

William frowned. "No, I suppose not. But it is what it is, you know?"

"You need to get out more, my friend. It's not good for you to be cooped up in that huge house all by yourself, alone with your memories. Mary wouldn't want you to rot away like this, with only the ghosts of the past for company."

If anyone else had said that to him, William would have been mad. But he and Richard Davis had grown up together. And Richard was the only one who William let talk this way. Besides, he knew his friend was right.

"Speaking of which," Richard continued, "That's actually why I was calling. Elizabeth wanted me to invite you over for dinner tomorrow evening; if you're free, that is." The last words were spoken with a smirk.

William pondered a moment. It _would_ be nice to get out of the house. "Ok, that sounds nice, actually. On one condition: this had better not be another one of Elisabeth's attempts to set me up with someone."

A sheepish look crossed Richard's face. Well, I…can't guarantee that, Will."

William frowned. "I mean it, Richard. If I get there and see one simpering witch in your living room, I will turn right around and head back into the fireplace!"

"OK, ok! I'll tell Elisabeth no 'friends' over. Just the three of us." He sighed. "You know she means well, right? We just want to see you happy, Will. And your girls do, too."

It was William's turn to sigh. "I know she does, Richard. And I appreciate the gesture. Truly I do. It's just that…I lost the only two women I ever loved. One's dead, and the other might as well be dead. I just don't have it in me to try for a third."

Richard nodded. "I understand. Just know that you're not alone in this, Will. We're all here for you."

"Thank you, my friend. See you tomorrow."

"You bet. Seven o'clock?"

William nodded. "Sounds good. Give my love to Elisabeth."

"Will do." Richard's face disappeared and the flames died back down.

William sighed, putting his hand against the mantle and bowing his head. When he looked up, his eyes fell on the bottle of Firewhiskey. After a short internal debate, he grabbed the bottle. "One glass won't hurt," he muttered.

One glass turned into two, and then into three. William still sat watching the flames of the fireplace. He wasn't quite drunk but knew that he would be soon if he kept drinking. Just after Ten, Lizzy entered the room. "Master, there is a Mr. Black here who wishes to speak with you."

William frowned. "Mr. Black? I don't know any Mr. Blacks."

"Sure you do!" A voice called from outside the room. "Have you already forgotten your cousin? I admit that 12 years in Azkaban _is_ a long time, but I thought I'd made more of an impression on you than that!"

William groaned, but smiled as Sirius Black strode into the room. He was looking decidedly healthier than he had in the pictures posted everywhere after his escape a couple years ago.

William stood and shook the man's hand before sitting back down and gesturing to the couch. "It's good to see you, Sirius. I wondered when you might make an appearance here."

"Well, I had to lie low for a long time. Still do, in fact. But I can't stay cooped up in the old family houses all alone forever. It's good to get out." He shrugged his coat off and sat down on the couch opposite William. "And since my dear Greengrass cousin's house is so neutral, I reckoned I'd be safe here for a little while."

"Ahh, firewhiskey! Do you mind?" Sirius asked, indicating the bottle. William waved him towards it and Sirius poured himself a substantial amount.

"You're welcome to stay as long as you want," William replied. "Nothing can get through the wards here. They were made with ancient magiks. Very old." While he and Sirius had never been close, they'd had respect for one another throughout their life. Sirius reminded William of Andromeda. He'd had the guts to break away from the family and build his own life, on his terms. Which made it absolutely ludicrous that he would do something like betray his dearest friends.

"I never did think you did it, you know," William mumbled.

Sirius turned to him and cocked an eyebrow. "Oh? Why not? Everyone else did. You never thought the Black blood got the better of me at some point?"

William shook his head. "Nope. Not you. I didn't spend a lot of time with you guys at school and all, being in separate houses. And houses that hated each other, I might add."

"And you were too busy dating our dear cousin for a lot of years as well," Sirius pointed out. He was startled for a moment as he saw a flash of pain shoot through William's eyes at the mention of Bellatrix. 'Does he still love her?' Sirius wondered. 'Impossible! Not after the things she's done!' But he made a smooth subject change.

"So why are you so convinced of my innocence, then?"

William shrugged. Like I said, I didn't spend a lot of time with you at school, but I saw how close you and James Potter were. A lot like Richard and I. There is nothing on this earth that could ever get me to betray Richard. And I know that's how you felt about James. Simple as that."

Sirius took a swig of the whiskey and regarded William silently a moment over the top of the glass. "So who do you think did it, then? Remus?"

William shook his head. "No, Lupin doesn't have the eyes of a killer. Not like you, Sirius." William shrugged. "Or me, if it comes to it."

Sirius snorted. "Must be the Black in us, I reckon."

"Must be."

They fell into silence then, each lost in his own thoughts. William's eyes began to grow heavy, and he stood with a yawn. "I need to go to bed before I pass out right here on the floor." He glanced over at Sirius. "Lizzy will make sure a room is ready for you. There's plenty of food, but I should warn you that Lizzy is very…protective of her kitchen. So please be courteous to her."

Sirius laughed. "A pureblood who treats his elves with respect. I guess I was out of circulation longer than I thought!"

William smiled and shook his head, too tired to argue. "Good night, Sirius. We can catch up more tomorrow."

Sirius waved as William, still yawning, headed upstairs to his room. He fell into bed, not even bothering to change out of his clothes. It would be nice having Sirius around for a while. At least it wouldn't be so lonely…

**A/N: And there, you have it. A few seeds and hints for later events were planted here, in case anyone missed them. Hope whoever reads this enjoys.**

**And oh yeah, just FYI: I ain't J. K. Rowling. Just saying, though I doubt anyone thought I was. **


	3. Chapter 3: Departures

**Departures**

"**The hands of time, with fingers crossed, will lie to keep what must be lost;**

**Winds and tides will wash away all memories;**

**Remember me, tell me how to keep the flame, When seasons pass the time away;**

**Remember how you love me, how you'd see me, how you'd love to see me.**

**Won't you remember me?"**

As promised, the following evening William flooed over to the Davis estate, telling Sirius that he'd be home early and they could drink again, which pleased Sirius to no end. When he arrived, William was very gratified to see that there were no single witches lying in wait to flirt with him. He loved Elisabeth Davis to pieces, and he knew she meant well, but she was so set on helping William find "someone special" that he almost dreaded being around her anymore.

"So, William, what have you been up to this week?" Elisabeth asked as they sat down to eat.

William shrugged. "Getting used to a quiet house again, now that the girls are back to school."

Elisabeth smirked. "It was wonderful to see Daphne and that nice Longbottom boy together, wasn't it?"

William made a movement with his head that may or may not have been a nod, and mumbled something unintelligible.

Elisabeth chuckled. "Spoken like a true father. Richard about went through the roof when Tracey started seeing that Zabini boy."

Now Richard muttered something unintelligible, and Elisabeth laughed louder. "Men! Really! They're not little girls anymore; they're growing up and turning into fine, upstanding young women. Of _course _boys are going to start paying attention to them. I know it's scary. But it's a part of life."

William sighed. "I know, Elisabeth. You're right. It's just that…when I look at them, I still see the little girls they were. I can't help it." Then he scowled. "And I know what boys have on their minds these days."

Elisabeth snorted and raised an eyebrow. "'_These_ days'? What do you mean, '_these _days'? Richard always wanted to sneak off somewhere and snog when we were still at Hogwarts. And I'm quite certain that you and…and Mary were the same way." She had almost mentioned the name of William's first love, but had caught herself in time.

Not quite fast enough, however. A wistful smile crossed William's face as he thought back to the two women he'd loved and lost. "It's ok, Elisabeth. And you're right, on both counts. They were so different, yet so similar…both very passionate. But while….while Bella was aggressively passionate, Mary was, oh I don't know…more demure about it." He stopped talking and his eyes held a faraway look.

Elisabeth and Richard glanced at each other. Richard cleared his throat. "So, Will, can we expect to see you at the Ministry a bit more this Fall?"

William snapped out of his reverie. "What? Oh, well, yes, perhaps a bit. I need something to keep myself occupied." Then he added in a lower tone, "Guess I just have to get used to an empty house." He hadn't meant for the other two to hear him; but they did, and exchanged another look.

"I understand that you met the famous Harry Potter last week, Will," said Richard. "What do you think of him? Elisabeth was rather impressed. But then, she was good friends with his mother, after all, so she might be a bit prejudiced on that point."

Elisabeth threw a carrot at her husband.

"Yes, he seems like a fine young man. Not quite what I expected after years of hearing the hype about him in the Prophet."

"Better or worse?" Richard asked, taking a bite of potatoes.

"Better. He seems intelligent, down to earth. Not arrogant at all, like his father was when we were in school. But in all honesty, I was more focused on that Longbottom kid…"

**(Flashback)**

A very nervous Neville Longbottom was standing with Hermione, Harry and Ron, waiting for Daphne and her family to arrive. He was sweating profusely and kept gulping. Hermione patted him on the back. "Relax, Neville. Everything's going to be fine. Stop worrying!"

"But…I'm m-meeting my…my g-girlfriend's father. This is real! I'm meeting her _father_! The Greengrasses are one of the oldest magical families in Britain! They were here before the Norman invasion! They were here before the _Romans_! What if he doesn't like me? I—I feel like I might vomit." Harry and Ron glanced at Neville, then at each other, and discreetly took a step back.

Hermione shot them a glare, then returned her attention to Neville. "I know. But you're a pureblood yourself, Neville. Daphne and her sister seem down to earth. They're nothing like Malfoy, so I doubt their father will be much like Mr. Malfoy is either. Trust me; you have nothing to worry about!"

As she finished speaking, the group caught site of a blonde-haired girl waving at them, with a dark-haired girl walking a few steps behind her waving at them as well. Hermione smiled and returned their waves. So did Harry. Ron just muttered something about "slimy snakes", earning him a slap on the arm and another glare from Hermione.

Neville…poor Neville gulped again, looking like he might pass out. He managed a weak smile and returned Daphne's wave. Behind Astoria were a man and a woman. Tracey was walking next to the woman.

As they got closer, Daphne skipped—yes, she skipped—the last few steps up to Neville, a shy smile gracing her face. "Hi, Nev," she said in a quiet voice. Then she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

A stupid grin covered Neville's face as he forgot about meeting her father for a moment. But only for a moment, as the man in question arrived soon after his daughter did. Daphne moved to Hermione and gave her a quick hug, before returning to Neville. Taking him by the hand and entwining her fingers with his, she led him over to her father. Neville gulped again.

"Father, this is Neville Longbottom. My boyfriend." She was staring at Neville and smiling, as if just seeing him and being in his presence again after the long summer apart made her entire life worth living. And the stupid grin returned to Neville's face as he gazed back at her.

Someone cleared their throat, which snapped Neville out of his stupor. He cast a nervous glance up at the man standing before him. "Um, h-hello, L-Lord Greengrass. I'm very pleased to m-meet you." Daphne was beaming a beautiful smile at him, and squeezed his hand in encouragement.  
Somewhat bolstered by his girlfriend's (he still couldn't believe he actually had a girlfriend!) affection, he gave a slight bow and stuck his other hand out to her father.

Several different emotions darted through William's mind as he gave the boy a stern look and a cursory perusal. He was about the same height as Daphne. His eyes were clear, and he seemed bright enough…other than the stupid grin plastered on his face every time he looked at Daphne. William shook his head. Boys.

Wait…he had once been a boy himself, a long time ago. He could remember how it felt. Just barely.

He shook his head again to clear it, and took Neville's outstretched hand in his own, giving it a firm squeeze and shake. Perhaps a little too firm of a squeeze, as a soft gasp escaped Neville. Always negotiate from a position of strength. Put the fear of him into young Neville at the beginning, so he knows whose daughter he's messing with.

Daphne glared at her father, who gave her a discreet shrug and smirk. He let go of Neville's hand. "I am pleased to finally meet you, Mr. Longbottom." Then recognition dawned on him, and his eyes widened a bit. "Wait, Longbottom…Augusta Longbottom's grandson?"

"Y-yes s-sir," Neville stammered, unable to tell by the tone of William's voice if that was a good or bad thing.

William chuckled. "Your grandmother is an absolute force of nature, young man," he murmured. "Not someone to trifle with."

Then he stared at Neville for so long, not saying a word, that Neville gulped again. Even Daphne began to become concerned. Finally, William sighed…it sounded like a sad sigh. "You look a good deal like your father did at your age. We…were friends at Hogwarts our last couple of years. Your father was the one who introduced me to my wife." William's voice trailed off, and his eyes got the far off look in them that Daphne had often seen since her mother died.

William sniffed, and cleared his throat, turning his attention back to Neville. "Your father is a good man. If you're half the man he is, you are more than welcome to court my oldest daughter." He held his hand out.

Neville let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, as a grin broke out across his face. His heart soared hearing the kind things Daphne's father had said about his own father. "Thank you, sir!" He exclaimed, shaking William's hand once more.

"We can discuss terms of the marriage contract with your grandmother over the Christmas holidays," William added, and Neville's grin disappeared. He gulped again. But Daphne saw the glint of amusement in her father's eyes, and knew he was only joking. Well, joking to a certain extent. If they continued to date, a marriage agreement would be drawn up between her father and Neville's grandmother. Time enough for that later, she thought.

Deciding a change of subject was needed, Daphne reached out and pulled Hermione over. "And this is my friend Hermione Granger. And this is Ron Weasley and Harry Potter." She indicated the two boys standing behind them. "Everyone, this is my father, and this is Mrs. Davis, Tracey's mum."

Hermione gave a small curtsey. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Greengrass and Lady Davis."

Elisabeth gave Hermione a kind smile. "Oh pish, none of that Lord and Lady nonsense, young woman. Elisabeth and William will do fine." When William didn't reply, Elisabeth glanced at him, catching the faraway look in his eyes once more. She elbowed him gently. "Isn't that right, William?"

He startled. "What? Oh…oh yes, no reason to be so formal." He took Hermione's hand, placing a kiss on the back of it. "It's a pleasure to meet you, young lady. Daphne has mentioned you several times."

Hermione blushed and turned to shake Mrs. Davis' hand as William shook Harry and Ron's hands. "Weasley, you say? I seem to recall an Arthur Weasley who works as the Ministry. Something to do with Muggles, if I remember correctly. Is he a relative of yours?"

"Yes sir, he's my father. He works in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office."

William nodded. "I don't know him well, but I have seen him in passing several times. He seems like a kind man." To be honest, William had been rather underwhelmed by Arthur Weasley. While he did indeed seem kind, he was too kind, and he appeared to be a bit bumbling as well. But William had enough tact to not mention that to the man's son. Besides, he didn't _dislike_ Aruthur Weasley. He just found him to be a bit weak when it came to politics. Weasley was one of the types who thought the best of people…much like that idiot Headmaster did.

Ron flashed a bright smile. Maybe he _was_ wrong about Slytherins…maybe they weren't _all _bad, like Hermione was always telling him.

Elisabeth was shaking Harry's hand. "I am very pleased to meet you, Harry. I was good friends with your mother our last couple years at school. She was one of the sweetest, most kind people I've ever met. She had a beautiful soul."

"Indeed," William said, turning to their conversation. "Lily Evans had a way of making anyone she came across feel special. How in the world she managed to fall for James Potter is beyond my understanding. Not that James was bad, mind you…he was just so opposite of her. A big prankster. He was quite close with my cousin Sirius."

That got Harry's attention. "Sirius Black is your cousin, sir? I didn't know that." That meant Daphne's dad was also related to the Black sisters and Tonks…interesting.

"Well, second cousin actually. My grandmother was a Black. So Sirius and I saw each other several times a year when we were children. I wasn't very close to your father, though. He had that whole 'Gryffindors and Slytherins must hate each other, because Gryffindors and Slytherins hate each other' mindset." William chuckled.

Hermione sent a very pointed glance at Ron, who rolled his eyes.

William turned his attention to Hermione. "I'm not familiar with the Granger family, however." He frowned in thought, trying to place the name.

The blush returned full force to Hermione's face. "Well, that's probably because I'm muggle born, sir." Her voice was very low, and she was looking at the ground. Harry noticed the look that the adults exchanged. These were two purebloods, and had both been in Slytherin. Their reaction was about what he had expected.

Therefore, Harry was very surprised and taken aback by what happened next. William placed two fingers under Hermione's chin, and gently raised her head until she was looking him in the eye. "Never be ashamed of your family, young lady," he told her, a gentle smile on his face.

Hermione stared at him a moment, as if she was unable to process what he had just said. The she broke out into a brilliant smile.

William stared at her for a moment, eyes narrowed but not in a mean way. More like he was contemplating her. "Judging by your reaction, and reading between the lines of things Daphne has mentioned about you in the past, I take it that your interactions with other pureblood families-outside of Mr. Longbottom and Mr. Weasley, of course- has not been…pleasant."

Hermione shook her head. "No, no t really, sir." She replied, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth.

"Well, we'll have to do our best to show you that not all of us are like the Malfoys, don't you agree Elisabeth?"

"Indeed I do, William," Tracey's mother said. She tapped her lips in thought and looked in silence at the group in front of her a few moment. Then, as if she had come to a decision in her mind, she spoke. "To that end, I hereby extend you all an invitation to attend the annual New Year's Eve gathering at our house this year."

This elicited excited chatter among the teens, who all began smiling and talking at once. William and Elisabeth stood watching and listening with content smiles of their own. A few others on the platform regarded the group with mixed emotions—some were confused, others seemed annoyed, and still others amused.

Then _everyone_ on the platform was startled as a voice boomed out. "WILLIAM! ELIZABETH! HERE YOU ARE! I'VE BEEN LOOKING EVERYWHERE FOR YOU!"

William pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered, "Mother of Lilith, what is _HE_ doing here?"

The teens turned to see an old man striding through the crowd as it parted to let him through. His eyes were bright and his face was beaming and focused on William and his family. As he neared, he spread his arms out wide. He went down on one knee, enveloping Daphne and Astoria, who had run over to meet him, in a tight hug.

"Uncle Polaris!" Astoria exclaimed. "I'm so happy to see you! What are you doing here?"

"Well, I couldn't let my little gumdrops head back to school without telling their old uncle goodbye now, could I?"

"Wh-who is _that_?" Neville stuttered, as he and his friends stared wide-eyed at the old man who was heading over with his arms across Daphne and Astoria's shoulders.

"That, my dear Mr. Longbottom, is my great-uncle, Pol—" but he was cut off by Hermione before he could finish.

"Polaris Black!" She exclaimed. "One of the most famous explorers of the magical world! They say he's even been to the ruins of Atlantis! I thought he was dead!"

"Oh no," William muttered. "I'm sorry to say he is still _very_ much alive." His voice sounded sour.

"William!" The old man exclaimed, grabbing his hand and giving it several shakes in both of his. "How are you, my dear boy?" His voice held a grandfatherly tone to it, until he dropped William's hand and fixed his eyes on Tracey's mother with a lecherous leer. "And Elisabeth, my dove…as beautiful as ever!" He gave her a rather lingering hug then stepped back. "Still with that boring husband of yours, I take it? Any time you want to leave him, my door is always open." His voice was husky, and he gave her a wink.

Elisabeth returned his wink with a tolerant smile. "It's nice to see you, too, Polaris. Thank you for your…kind offer. But I am more than happy with Richard."

Uncle Polaris laughed and gave a shrug. "Ah well. Can't blame an old man for trying!"

William found himself pinching the bridge of his nose—again!—and grinding his teeth. "Uncle, could you _possibly not_ be this way _every_ time you're around?"

Polaris roared with laughter, and slapped William on the back. "Sorry, my dear boy, I _must _be this way! It's just how I am! We can't all be boring and proper like you!" Then he looked at the gaping teenagers around him. "Well, hello, young people! How are you all? Ready for another fun term at Hogwarts?" He laughed again.

"Uncle," Daphne said, leading him over to Neville. "This is my boyfriend, Neville Longbottom."  
The old man's eyebrows rose and a grin covered his face. "Boyfriend, eh? Well, young man, welcome to the family!" He leaned closer to Neville and whispered. "If you need any advice on wooing women, send me an owl!" He winked, Neville gulped, and Daphne's face turned deep red, while Astoria laughed.

Then he stepped back and raised his voice. "But you keep proper respect for my grand niece, you hear me, boy? Don't break her heart, and don't make her cry, or I'll hear about it! And no fooling around!" He added, jabbing a finger at Neville. "No sex until you're married! We always deliver our women folk into marriages completely pure!" He lowered his voice again and leaned close to Neville once more. "Of course, anything else is ok, just don't let old Will know!"

Poor Neville looked like he might pass out.

"Uncle, PLEASE! Could you just _stop_?" William was grinding his teeth so hard it hurt, and the glare on his face would have scared Medusa herself.

Polaris roared with laughter again. "Well, people, I must be off. I'm heading to Wales…I will find that cave where Arthur and his knights are sleeping before I die! I've promised that to myself. It gives me something to live for." Then he hugged Daphne and Astoria again, this time including Tracey in the hug as well. "You girls have a wonderful term! Write me when you can. I love hearing from you!" Then he spun to Neville, glaring and jabbing his finger at him. "And YOU! _YOU_ make sure you take excellent care of my young niece! No funny business, understand boy?"

Neville was white as a ghost and swaying on his feet a little. But he still managed a nod and a very weak "Yes, sir!" All it took was Daphne taking his arm and smiling at him for the color (and sappy grin) to return to his face once more.

"And remember." Polaris stage whispered. "If you need any advice, owl me!" He winked again before turning to William and wringing his hand. He then gave Elisabeth another somewhat lingering hug before he turned and strode off the platform.

"Talk about a force of nature," Ron muttered to Harry, who smirked. Hermione was still gaping after the old man.

"I should introduce him to Gran," Neville murmured. "Maybe he can perk her up and she can calm him down." Daphne grinned at him.

William frowned at the effect Daphne and Neville had on each other.

The whistle blew, signaling the imminent departure of the Hogwarts Express. Elisabeth hugged her daughter, kissing her on the cheek. "Write me, love. And be safe." Then she hugged Daphne and Astoria. "Take care of each other, girls," she ordered. Turning to Hermione, she hugged her as well. "It was lovely meeting you, dear. And we'll see you at our house on New Year's Eve."

"Yes, ma'am," Hermione replied with a bright smile. "And thank you again for inviting me! I'm looking forward to it!" Ron and Harry grimaced, as they knew Hermione would spend hours studying about proper dress and behavior for formal pureblood gatherings.

Elisabeth hugged Harry and Ron goodbye. "And we'll see you boys as well, yes?"

"Yes, ma'am," they both replied. Harry smiled. He would attend the party no matter what. He wanted to ask Mrs. Davis more about his mother.

William hugged both his daughters, and told them to write him as much as possible, and they both assured him they would. Astoria had tears in her eyes as she kissed her father on the cheek. "Love you, Daddy," she whispered.

"I love you too, sweetheart," William replied, his voice think with emotion.

William then shook Neville's hand. He considered saying "No snogging!" But he knew it would most likely be a waste of time. So he just said, "Take good care of my daughter, Mr. Longbottom. I'm trusting you with her."

A light shone in Neville's eyes at William's words. He gripped Daphne's hand tighter. "I will, sir."

William gripped Neville's shoulder and looked him in the eye. "Excellent. That's all a father can ask for." Then he leaned closer. "And we _will _be having a talk over Christmas." Neville gulped again, causing William to smirk.

Daphne glared at her father. "Come on, everyone. Let's get on the train." Dutifully, the boys helped the girls with their trunks. Neville hurried to take Daphne's, and then felt obligated to take Astoria's as well. William watched with a satisfied expression as Neville did so. Harry grabbed Hermione's, which left Ron to take Tracey's. He hesitated, and Tracey laughed. "What's wrong, Weasley? Afraid to touch a Slytherin Trunk? Worried a snake might slither out and bite you?"

"Ronald!" Hermione hissed as Ron just stood staring dumbly at the trunk after shooting Tracey a glare. "I'm not afraid of anything, Davis," he muttered as he finally took hold of her trunk. The kids boarded the train, and with one last wave from Daphne, Astoria, and Tracey, they disappeared inside. A few minutes later the train started to move.

"I cannot believe Daphne has a boyfriend already," William muttered as the train slowly pulled out of the station. "She's only fifteen, too young to be hanging around with boys." Images of Daphne and the Longbottom boy involved in passionate snogging popped into his mind, and he frowned. He and that boy would most assuredly be having a talk over Christmas.

Elisabeth sighed and locked her arm with William's, laying her head on his shoulder as they watched the train pulling out. "You can't stop time, Will. They're teenagers. Let them enjoy it, and experience what happiness they can. I fear the real world will intrude all too soon."

"I know, Liz. You're right. It's just…" Elisabeth heard his voice catch. "It's just, I feel like I'm losing them. I hate being alone. And it seems that's all I have to look forward too: a life of loneliness stretching ahead of me as far as I can see."

Elisabeth squeezed his hand. "You never know what destiny has in store for you, Will."

William snorted in disgust. "Destiny hasn't exactly been too kind to me over the years, Liz. Well, outside of giving me the two greatest girls a father could ever hope for." He smiled before adding, "Except when they start becoming interested in boys. Thank Hecate that Astoria is still too young for that!"

Elisabeth glanced at him from the corner of her eye, and smiled. Men really were so oblivious when it came to matters of the heart. She patted his hand. "Come on. I'm hungry. I'll let you treat me to some shepherd's pie at the Leaky Cauldron before we head home. I'll get an order to go for Richard, too, so he doesn't feel too left out."

"As you wish, my lady." William smiled. And with one final glance at the disappearing train, the two friends turned and left the platform.

**(End flashback)**

The evening with the Davis' ended by Nine, and William returned home to find Sirius sitting in the living room reading a book. William cocked an eyebrow. "Sirius Black reading a book? My goodness, you _have_ changed."

Sirius shrugged. "You end up missing the little things in Azkaban…books, travel, hell, just walking around your own house freely. It is not a cheery place, Azkaban."

"No, I'd expect not," William murmured. Then two men fell silent for a bit, each lost in his own thoughts.

They shared another bottle of firewhiskey until they both began to nod off, finally wishing each other good night and heading off to their respective rooms.

Truth be told, Sirius was using his visit to casually explore William's house without arousing the suspicion of either the resident house elves nor William himself. He hadn't lied to William, or at least not completely. He _had_ been feeling cooped up in Grimmauld Place, and William's house was one of only a tiny handful of places he could visit in safety. But that was just part of it.

When Hermione mentioned in passing to Mrs. Weasley that she had become friends with Daphne, and thus Harry and his inner circle of friends, the Order had become worried. The Greengrasses were purebloods, an old family, and related by direct blood to the Blacks, who were notoriously pureblood supremacists. The concern—voiced loudly by some (Tonks and Moody being the loudest by far) and a bit more gently by others (the Weasleys and Dumbledore) was that perhaps they were working with the darker families to get someone close to Harry and either spy or—more worrisome—actually inflict harm on him. Neville himself could be a potential target as well, considering what had happened to his parents, and the fact that the prophecy could also have been referring to him as well as Harry.

"It could even be a plot to get at my poor Ronald!" Mrs. Weasley had cried. "Many other purebloods considered us to be blood-traitors, after all; or Hermione, since muggle-born are hated almost as much as muggles themselves were!" There were too many possibilities being discussed by the Order for any of them to feel safe about Daphne's apparent sudden interest in Neville.

"Well, why don't you go spy on the Greengrasses then, Molly? Their estate is pretty close to the Burrow, after all. It straddles the borders of Devonshire and Cornwall. Just down the road from you. You and Arthur go pay William a little visit if you really think he's out for Ron's hide." Mrs. Weasley often irked Sirius with her loud and emotional ramblings. He was pleased that she took her role as a mother seriously (!), but sometimes…no, not sometimes-_often_ she took it too far. "For Merlin's sake, Daphne's mother was an Abbot, and the Abbots are one of the lightest of the light families!"

"But—but her father was in Slytherin! And he dated that horrible Lestrange woman for several years back at Hogwarts!" Molly was grasping at straws now, and everyone knew it.

"She was Bellatrix Black then, Molly," Albus interjected. "Her descent into evil and madness had not started yet at that point."

Deep down, Sirius did not think William was in league with the Dark Lord. The neutrality of the Greengrass family was legendary. The only fighting they had done in centuries involved minor skirmishes on their own lands, or in defense of loved ones, and several duels concerning family honour.

Besides, he had grown up with William to an extent, and never saw any tendencies that worried him…outside of William's previously mentioned relationship with Bella when they were teenagers, as well as random bouts of temper on William's part. Sirius just chalked that up to the Black blood flowing through William's veins. Sirius knew the feeling, as he himself was victim to much the same thing being a Black himself, and heir to the Family line.

But still, Sirius reckoned that it did pay to be extra cautious where Harry was concerned. Sirius loved Harry as if he were his own flesh and blood son. So when Sirius mentioned in passing to Dumbledore that he was getting a bit stir crazy, the Headmaster had come up with the idea of him going to "visit" William and "look into the situation at Greengrass Manor".

And look into it he did. The two men spent most of their time walking around the estate, much to Sirius delight. It felt so nice to be out in the fresh air and sunlight. William also took him on a tour of the house itself. Sirius remembered it some from his childhood, but walking around the place aided him in his exploration for the Order. It was a grand old house that had been in the Greengrass family for over a thousand years. Parts of it were very old, but most had been added on in recent centuries, and updated over the years since. Though very large, it was a warm and inviting dwelling.

The two men renewed their friendship as well, which both were pleased about. They spent most evenings in the den, drinking firewhiskey and laughing over their school days. Sirius noticed that William never mentioned Bellatrix, who had been such a big part of his life for several years. Taking this to mean that the topic of their cousin was off limits, Sirius steered clear of mentioning her as well.

Sirius left four days after arriving, fully satisfied that the Greengrasses were as true as their actions showed, and had no ulterior motives. Which is exactly what he reported at the next meeting. It was a great weight off everyone's shoulders (outside of Moody, _of course_…Sirius often felt the old Auror was too paranoid for his own good!). Those who knew Neville well had seen how much he had thrived and become so much more confident by having Daphne in his life, so the Order was relieved Daphne's intentions were indeed honorable.

There was only one thing that had stood out to Sirius while he was with William. It seemed there was something that lay dormant on the very land of the Greengrass estate. It was there, whatever it was, but only as a dull background noise, a thrumming that seemed to come from the ground itself, encompassing everything within a protective aura. It was calming and peaceful. And powerful. Very powerful. But not evil. It felt—he hated to admit it because it sounded so cliché—neutral. Could whatever this power was be the source and reason for the Greengrasses staunch maintenance of their neutrality?

Sirius regretted mentioning this unseen power as it set both Molly and Alastor off into more of their ranting. He sighed and put his head in his hands. This was going to be another long meeting…

William had been able to ignore the dreams whilst Sirius was there to provide a distraction. But once he left, the dreams came back in full force. And each night William woke yelling into the darkness of his room, drenched in sweat. He consumed more and more firewhiskey, hoping the alcohol would dull the fears and maybe drive the dream away. Instead, each night it grew worse and more lucid. William spiraled downward.

Being alone, there was no one there to distract or stop him. The girls wrote to him—Astoria more frequently than Daphne, who was spending more and more time with Neville. Richard and Elizabeth would contact him as much as they could. But William was good at hiding his feelings and situation from others. So no one knew, although the Davis' suspected. And nothing could stop the dream…

And one night, Lizzy just could not take it anymore. Something had to be done. Poor Master needed help. And so the house elf apparated to Hogwarts to speak with Miss Daphne…

**A/N: Good godfrey, this is long! Yeah, so, anyway…** **after the next chapter, things are going to get really dark. Like, really dark. But it will end happy, I promise. Review if you want, I don't care. I just hope whoever reads this, if anyone, at least gets some enjoyment out of it.**


	4. Chapter 4:Of Daphne And Neville

**A/N: Quick word here…assume that everything that happened at the start of "Order of the Phoenix" did in fact happen here, too. I've perhaps tweaked their journey back to school a little. But yes, the events did happen. They're just not pertinent to the current story. Thought I'd better drop this fact in since I didn't last chapter. Also, this chapter is primarily divided between Neville and Daphne's POV's, with a bit of Hermione POV tossed in here and there. Anywho, enjoy.**

**On Daphne and Neville**

"**Know, you know you stole my heart, my soul and yours are one;**

**I never want to have it back, to always feel we've just begun**

**To feel the heat, feel the flame, of life and love, the wars we wage;**

**Live for you, die for you, I'm head and heels in love with you!**

**Won't you remember me?"**

Neville lay in bed, tired but too happy to sleep. Even after a month back at school, even with the monumental annoyance of that ridiculous Umbridge, even with the danger growing outside the walls of Hogwarts, and even with Daphne's startling revelation about her father…Neville always had a grin plastered on his face.

Ron often made fun of him because of it, but Neville didn't mind. Harry said Ron was just jealous, which Ron, of course, vehemently denied. Neville was not bothered one bit. Better to be made fun of because he had a beautiful girl holding his hand and smiling at him than because of some stupid mistake he'd made, or accident he'd caused.

Neville couldn't _help_ smiling all the time. _Daphne _made him smile. He just couldn't help it! And he didn't care if people teased him. He did often wonder how someone like him could be lucky enough to have such a brilliant and beautiful girl in his life, _wanting_ to spend time with him; it was a mystery. Never did Neville think such a thing would happen. But it had, and he was beyond happy. True, being purebloods and from light and neutral families, they had seen much of one another growing up—Daphne was Hannah Abbott's cousin, after all. However, _this_ particular feeling was new for Neville…and he enjoyed it very much.

He was still afraid it was all some kind of lucid dream, and that at any moment he'd wake up and just be stupid, awkward Neville Longbottom again, the pathetic nobody. The loser. The near-squib. The bumbling oaf he'd been seen as for most of his life. Up until _she_ had wandered back into his life again. His gorgeous Slytherin.

Yes, there had been some scandalized whispering among his housemates when Daphne, the Slytherin "Ice Queen" had started hanging out with the Gryffindor most often used as the brunt of jokes. Aside from the typical, "She's a filthy snake!", most males were jealous, while most females said he _must_ have used a love potion on her. Because why would such a talented, untouchable, aloof pureblood heiress like Daphne Greengrass_ want_ to get together with a "Granny's Boy" like Neville Longbottom?

His small circle of true friends, on the other hand, were very happy for him. Yes, at first they also were concerned (especially Ron!)…it seemed incongruous even to them. Daphne was a rival to Hermione when it came to school work and grades. And Neville thought Daphne was the most beautiful girl in his year, of Slytherin or any of the other houses, although he'd never say that to Hermione. Hermione had been his first real friend at Hogwarts, the first person to see him as a person rather than a buffoon.

Neville recalled how terrified he had been about meeting her father. The Greengrass family had rather a bloodthirsty reputation, almost on a par with the Black family, though not as evil. No, there was nothing evil about the Greengrasses at all…but there _was_ something powerful about them, something ancient and strong. He just hadn't quite figured out what it was yet.

But Daphne's father seemed to be a fairly nice man, despite all the "Slytherin" bashing on the part of Ron. And even Ron himself had seemed quite pleased by William Greengrass. Neville, while terrified at first, had been pleased to find that Daphne's father had been close with his own father. The man had seemed genuine in his sadness of what happened, though he hadn't mentioned it directly. Part of Neville was looking forward to seeing William again at Christmas, whilst part of him was still terrified.

And then there was the train ride back to Hogwarts. That had been one of the best times of Neville's life…

**(Flashback)**

"Come on, everyone, let's find a compartment!" Astoria called as she ran ahead of the group. Harry was behind her and laughed at her enthusiasm. Hermione and Daphne came next, deep in a discussion about arithmancy, and following them was Neville, struggling a little with both Daphne and Astoria's trunks. After Neville was Tracey, with a very disgruntled Ron bringing up the rear. He was muttering, wondering under his breath what Slytherins packed in their trunks that was so heavy.

Tracey laughed and looked at him over her shoulder. "Suck it up, Weasley. Look at Neville—he's pulling _two_ Slytherin trunks, and you don't hear _him_ complaining, do you?"

"Well, it's a bit different for him," Ron grumbled. "He's pulling his girlfriend's and her sister's trunks. What's _my_ motivation? Where's _your_ boyfriend? Why isn't _he_ here pulling your trunk?"

Tracey shrugged, still smirking. "Oh, he's around here somewhere. I'm sure he'll turn up eventually." Truth be told, though she kept the thought to herself due to Ron's still iffy trust of Slytherins, Tracey figured that Blaze was most likely with Malfoy. He had been drawn into Draco's circle more often of late, and Tracey wasn't happy about that, to say the least.

Almost two thirds of the way down the train, Astoria opened the door of an empty compartment. "Here we are! This will do nicely." She held the door open for the others. Hermione gave the cabin a skeptical glance. "A bit small for all seven of us, isn't it?" She wondered aloud.

Astoria smirked, glancing at her sister. "Oh, I'm sure we'll manage." Harry shrugged and entered, and the others filed in behind him. The boys stowed the girls' trunks as well as their own things. Harry sat near the door, Hermione next to him, and Ron near the window on one side of the compartment, whilst Tracey sat across from Harry, Astoria quickly took the space next to her, and pulled Neville down on her other side, across from Ron. Daphne, who had paused to retrieve a book from her trunk, turned and found herself with only a few inches of space between Neville and the window.

She and Neville stared at each other a moment, both their faces turning red. Hearing snickers from Astoria and Tracey, Daphne turned a glare on them, narrowing her eyes. This caused them to laugh out loud. A disdainful look replaced the glare on Daphne's face. Raising her nose a bit, and giving a sniff, she gathered her skirt and sat down sideways on Neville's lap, pulling her skirt to her knees once she was seated. She placed her arm around Neville's shoulders and leaned against him, casting her disdainful stare at her sister and Tracey. The two girls in question returned her glare with satisfied smirks.

Daphne huffed. Glancing at Neville, the two exchanged shy smiles, their blushes increasing. Daphne laid her head against Neville's and gave a contented sigh. Having both her father's and granduncle's blessings regarding her relationship with Neville, Daphne felt bold enough to take it to a higher level; nor did she feel any shame in her somewhat unladylike seating arrangement.

Everyone else in the cabin feared Neville's face might crack in two because of the huge grin that was plastered across it.

"I swear, if you two start snogging I'm leaving the cabin," Ron muttered.

Daphne raised her head and favored Ron with a haughty expression. "Well, at least I know how to get rid of you now, Weasley," she told him, sounding bored. The others burst out laughing, and it was Ron's turn to blush.

The trip back to school was uneventful, for the most part. The teenagers talk and laughed and reminisced. In fact, they bonded. Ron let down his guard in the presence of the "slimy snakes" as he realized that these three, at least, were quite nice girls. They all purchased items from the Trolley Witch. Daphne fed Neville several sweets, whilst across from them Ron made exaggerated gagging noises, earning him a glare and smack on the arm from Hermione. Tracey and Astoria snickered while Harry smiled and shook his head.

Neville and Daphne both blushed, but with another dignified sniff and lift of her nose Daphne continued feeding Neville…who continued grinning.

From time to time, friends of Harry would stop in and exchange a few pleasantries with him, while casting baffled glances at the Slytherins across from him…especially at the site of the "Ice Queen" snuggling with Neville. Ron's twin brothers stopped and chatted a while as well. They were much friendlier to the Slytherin girls than some of the other visitors had been, and were openly supportive of Neville's relationship with Daphne.

The only snag in their peaceful journey came in the form of Draco Malfoy…of course. About an hour out from Hogwarts, he opened the door to their cabin. His eyes flicked across the occupants and he sneered at the site of Daphne draped across Neville's lap. The ever present cliché of Crabbe and Goyle were looming in the corridor behind him.

"Well, well…here's where the blood traitors are hiding with their little pet mudblood," he said. "Never took _you_ for a blood traitor, Greengrass. But then, I guess I shouldn't really be surprised. Your family's always been too afraid to take a stand on anything."

"Well, that's better than being boot-licking sycophants to a murderous psychopath." Daphne didn't even look at him when she replied, making a show of inspecting her fingernails, arm still around Neville's shoulders. Harry and his friends opinion of Daphne soared.

Draco's eyes went wide before his face contorted in anger. "Better watch what you say, Greengrass," he hissed. "Your family's famous neutrality won't keep you safe forever!"

Neville glared at Draco. He wasn't about to put up with Malfoy talking to Daphne like that! But before he could do anything, Daphne was off his lap and inches from Draco's face, her wand at his throat. "A threat? Really. Oh, Drakey, don't you know that threats are the last resort of frightened, desperate people? Besides…" Daphne's voice turned cold and dropped to a whisper. "What are you going to do about following through with it?"

Draco gulped. Harry and his friends had looks of utter shock on their faces. This was a side of Daphne that none of them had ever seen…and they found that they liked this side of her personality. Although it intimidated them a little, too.

Draco turned and left the cabin, muttering, "Let's go," to his two thugs, who lumbered down the corridor behind him. Daphne closed the door and locked it. Sighing, she returned to Neville's lap. He rubbed her back in soothing circles to calm her breathing down. After a moment, she turned to him and smiled, laying her head against him once more.

"Way to go, Greengrass!" Ron exclaimed.

"Draco almost seemed a little scared of you, Daphne," Hermione commented in awe.

Daphne just shrugged, and snuggled closer to Neville.

"Oh, he is," Tracey piped up. "Those two have gone at it in the common room more than once over the years. And Daph's come out the winner every time!" She gave her friend a proud smile.

"Father wanted us to know how to take care of ourselves should the need arise. He's taught us well," Astoria commented in a soft voice. Hermione, who was famous for noticing details that others often overlooked, had noticed Astoria's eyes brighten when Draco had first appeared in the doorway, and also noticed how she had flinched when her sister threatened him. Hermione had also heard the sad, soft sigh that escaped Astoria when Draco left. And she wasn't certain what to make of it, either.

All too soon, at least as far as Neville was concerned, the train pulled into the Hogsmead station. Approaching the carriages, Harry stopped and commented that he could see the creatures that were pulling them. Everyone else, Neville included, saw nothing. Hermione went so far as to tell Harry that nothing was pulling the "like always".

Everyone that is, except for Daphne. Looking at the front of the carriage, she blanched, sighed, and lowered her eyes. Neville was about to ask her what was wrong, when a blond haired girl, who was sitting in one of the carriages already and reading, said she could see them as well. Daphne glanced up at the other girl, their eyes meeting for a moment before Daphne looked down again.

Then the girl in the carriage smiled. "Your girlfriend can see them, too," she said, looking at Neville. "Only people who've seen death can see them. I'm Luna, by the way…Luna Lovegood. It's nice to meet you all, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Daphne, Tracey and Astoria." The girl's voice was quiet and watery, and she had an ethereal quality about her, almost fairy-like.

The teens all glanced at each other, wondering how she knew them. Harry, Hermione, and Ron, they could understand her knowing. But still. They were all aware of Luna's existence to one degree or another. The girl had a reputation for weirdness. But Daphne sensed something deeper about the girl. It was obvious to Daphne that Luna Lovegood wasn't actually weird: her mind just saw deeper than what the realm of the merely physical world showed.

"I don't think we can all fit in this one carriage," the Luna girl continued in her watery voice. "Some of you will have to take another carriage, but some can ride in this one." She returned to her reading. The teens looked at each other again before Harry shrugged.

Harry, Hermione and Ron all entered the carriage where the strange blonde girl was sitting. The three Slytherins decided, due to the aforementioned lack of space (and ludicrous House issues) to take their own. Neville looked torn over whom to ride with. Daphne touched his arm and he looked at her. "You can ride with them, Nev. It's fine." She smiled, but Neville thought her voice sounded sad. Kissing his cheek, she turned and got into the carriage where her sister and Tracey were waiting. Neville just stared after her. He felt torn…part of him wanted to be with his friends, whilst another part of him wanted to spend as much time with Daphne as he could, before the inevitable House hatred made it more difficult.

A snicker from Ron caught his attention. Sensing that Neville was conflicted, Hermione gave him a smile and waved him towards the other carriage. Harry laughed. "It's fine, Neville. Go ride with Daphne. We'll see you at the castle."

A grin broke across Neville's face. "Thanks, guys," he said, his voice filled with gratitude, before jogging over to the other carriage. Upon reaching it, Neville found Tracey and Astoria sitting on one side and smirking at him. He returned their smirks with a grin. Daphne was looking down at her hands which were folded in her lap. Climbing in beside Daphne, Neville was still grinning when Daphne looked at him and a grin broke across her face as well. Shyly, she reached out and took hold of his hand. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. Daphne's face turned bright red. She ducked her head, hiding her face behind a curtain of blonde hair. But she scooted up against Neville and rested her head on his shoulder as the carriage started towards the school.

Watching from the other carriage, Harry and Hermione smiled and shook their heads.

Nothing very eventful happened at the start of school feast. The only thing that stood out to the teens was the change in staff with the arrival of one Delores Umbridge, who was the new Dewfense Against the Dark Arts professor. Daphne developed an instant dislike for the woman, bordering on hatred, which surprised both Astoria and Tracey. Once in their dorm room for the night, Daphne was pacing as she fumed. Pansy and Millicent were still in the common room, no doubt fawning over Malfoy.

"This is _intolerable_!" Daphne growled. "Why in Merlin's name is that horrid woman here? Ohh, wait until I tell father about this! He'll be furious, too!"

Without warning, Tracey burst out laughing. Daphne turned her glare on Tracey, which caused her to laugh harder. "I fail to see the humor in this situation, Tracey," Daphne hissed through clenched teeth.

Tracey, still laughing, pointed at Daphne. "Did you just hear yourself?" She choked out between laughs.

Daphne's glare increased. "What. Is. So. FUNNY?!"

Tracey was gasping for air, but had stopped laughing. She was, however, still grinning at Daphne. "You…you sounded just like Draco!" This sent her off into another round of laughter.

Daphne froze and her eyes went wide. "oh…I did, didn't I?" Then she dismissed it with an imperious wave of her hand. "Still, I _will _tell father about Umbridge, and I'm sure he'll do something about the situation!"

Pansy chose that moment to enter the room, and Daphne adopted her cold persona once more, giving Pansy a haughty glance and sneer, before turning her back on the other girl. "Good night, Tracey," she said as she climbed into her bed.

Hours later, Daphne was still awake, unable to sleep due to the events of the last day flowing through her mind in an unceasing torrent. She sighed and got out of bed. She sat on a couch in the common room, watching the flames as they danced in the fireplace. She thought of how much things had changed for her in just the last few months. And she smiled. She smiled as she thought of her friends, new and old. Her smile widened as she thought of Neville.

True, Neville and she had known one another most of their lives. But this was different, exciting…new. And she liked it. And she didn't want it to go away. Ever. Daphne tucked her legs under her as her mind drifted back to the previous year…..

**(Another Flashback)**

The thoughts were beginning to get annoying. Daphne couldn't seem to shake the feelings that were growing in her heart and mind regarding one Mr. Neville Longbottom. Yes, she had had a bit of a crush on him ever since they were little, playing house at the boring parties their families dragged them off to. But something had changed in the last couple years: Every time she saw him at the Gryffindor table, in class, or even random meetings in the halls between or on the way to classes, her heart would flutter. It was starting to affect her academic work, and she was not at all pleased about that effect.

Sitting in the library, her eyes kept drifting across the room to one Hermione Granger. Hermione was friends with Neville. Maybe she could…no, Daphne was a Slytherin, and Hermione was Gryffindor. The two houses absolutely hated each other.

But if she were ever going to take her childhood crush on Neville to another, deeper level, now was the time, before she chickened out and changed her mind again. No more dallying. And Hermione was the one who would most likely be able to help her do so. Glancing once more at the Gryffindor, Daphne let out a resigned sigh. Closing her book, she tucked it under her arm, gathered her other things into her bag, and stood.

For her part, Hermione had noticed Daphne in the library most of the time when she herself was there for research and study. Their eyes would meet for a brief moment before looking back down. They never spoke, but Hermione didn't detected any hate or anger in Daphne's eyes. If anything, Daphne seemed somewhat aloof. Not arrogant, just aloof. And perhaps a bit curious as well.

Hermione was absorbed in homework when she heard a sigh, followed by the sound of a book closing and a chair scraping on the floor. Thinking that Daphne, who had been the only person sitting near her, was done studying for the night and going back to her dorm, Hermione paid it no mind and continued reading.

"Hello," a voice whispered from beside her, causing her to squeak and jump in her chair. She turned and found Daphne standing next to her.

"Oh! Um, hello?" It came out sounding like a question. Hermione blushed, not certain of how to respond. Slytherins _never _spoke to Hermione. She was just a disgusting mudblood, far beneath their notice except as an object of ridicule. Hermione had researched a good bit on the pureblood families of Britain, more so on some than others. The Malfoys, for instance, as well as those of Draco's inner circle. Hermione thought it best to know about your enemies in case the knowledge was needed.

But Hermione had never considered Daphne to be an enemy. A rival in academics, yes, but not an enemy. Before this moment, Daphne had not spoken a word to her in their almost four years of attending Hogwarts together. But still, she was in Slytherin, so Hermione had researched her family a little as well. The Greengrass family was a very, very old pureblood family, older by far than the Malfoys, and one of the Sacred Twenty Eight (along with the Longbottoms and Weasleys, Hermione had discovered).

Their neutrality was famous, going back centuries. They had not aided Grindelwald in his quest for dominance of the magical world, nor had they supported the Dark Lord during _his_ first rise to power. And if Daphne's attitude was anything to go by, it didn't appear they were doing so now either. She hadn't researched the Greengrasses much past that point…finding out about their neutrality, aided by the fact that neither Daphne nor her younger sister had ever been in any way antagonistic towards she or her friends, Hermione had moved on to other families.

Indeed, Astoria Greengrass was an outgoing girl, and had spoken to Hermione in passing many times. She seemed polite. Also—and this was one thing Hermione _did_ take note of—Draco and his circle tended to steer clear of the Greengrass sisters and their friends. In fact, Hermione had seen Draco and Daphne exchanging insults on more than one occasion, which encouraged her. Ron said it was probably just an act to throw them off their guard, but Hermione disagreed.

"May I sit?" Daphne asked, still whispering. Hermione nodded and Daphne sat in the chair next to her. Neither spoke, both looking at the table in front of them rather than at each other. Hermione pretended to read, but finally gave it up and closed her book. They sat that way for several moments, until, with another sigh, Daphne turned to Hermione.

"Listen, Granger. This may sound weird, ok? And I know we've sort of got this unofficial academic rivalry going on. But, I have a proposition for you, if you'll hear me out."

Hermione thought a moment, then nodded. "Go on."

"Well, don't take this the wrong way or anything, but…I've noticed that you struggle a little in potions."

Hermione snorted. "A little?!" She exclaimed, a bit too loud which earned her a "SHHHHH!" from Madam Pince.

Blushing, she lowered her voice to a whisper. "I'm rubbish, and I don't deny it. I mean, I can _do_ the potions well enough, just…not great. And it bugs me."

"I know we've sort of been silent rivals for marks in our year—sometimes you get the higher ones, sometimes it's me. I've always found it rather humorous that the Ravenclaws finish behind the two of us and not on top. Anyway, I'm rather horrid at Arithmancy myself. I get the theory, but actually doing it…well, I'm rubbish." She paused and sighed again. "So, I was wondering if in exchange for me helping you with potions, you might be willing to return the favor on Arithmancy?"

Hermione's mouth dropped open. "You're asking for my help in exchange for helping me? You? A pureblood Slytherin asking a lowly muggle born to form a partnership with you?"

Daphne huffed, but the corners of her lips twitched up. "I did tell you it may sound weird. In all truth, I've sort of enjoyed our silent rivalry. It's pushed me to try harder with my academics, and I bet it's done the same for you."

The corners of Daphne's mouth turned up a little more. "So what do you say, Granger? Is it a deal?" She held her hand out.

Hermione looked into Daphne's eyes and saw no malice. Glancing at her outstretched hand a moment, she looked back at her eyes. Taking Daphne's hand, she gave it one firm shake. "It's a deal." The girls smiled at each other.

And so was born a friendship. Truth be told, it was more of an alliance at first; but over time it grew into a genuine friendship. The two had much more in common than they thought, outside of their upbringings. For the rest of the term most evenings would find the two girls in a distant corner of the library studying and enjoying each other's company. When the subject of boys came up, and Daphne was reluctant to open up much about the subject, Hermione was able to coax out of Daphne what she felt for Neville. And with Hermione's help, Neville and Daphne "accidentally" ran into each other at the Three Broomsticks on a Hogsmead weekend.

Hermione had casually drifted away after the two began to talk, and she managed to drag Harry and Ron, who had been with Neville, away with her. And that was all it had taken. Daphne and Neville talked about everything that afternoon, mostly about their childhoods and times before Hogwarts. Once arriving at Hogwarts, they had only been in each other's company during a few events over the summers.

The time had passed before either realized (or wanted), and Neville had somehow worked up the courage to ask her to accompany him back to the castle. And in less than a month, Neville and Daphne were an official couple. They enjoyed each other's company whenever they could spare time with the end of the school year rapidly approaching. During the summer, they had exchanged letters almost every day, and had even managed to find reasons for going to Diagon Alley that wouldn't arouse too much suspicion on the part of Daphne's father or Neville's grandmother, where they would always spend the day together. And their relationship blossomed.

Until the fateful day when Astoria had found out, and as a typical younger sibling would, she had blabbed to her father. To both girls' surprise, William had been fine with it…well, after he had calmed down and given Daphne all sorts of lectures and warning about the "only thing" boys had on their minds. Daphne had sworn up and down that they were keeping everything slow, and had only held hands, cuddled, and kissed a few times…at which point William grew very uncomfortable and ended the discussion. He had, however, forbidden her from going anywhere outside of the manor grounds unescorted.

Daphne hadn't been able to wait for school to start again…

**(End second flashback)**

For the first part of the term, the weeks passed uneventfully. One night in late September, as Hermoine and Daphne sat in the library during one of their now very common study sessions, Hermoine brought up the subject of Daphne and Neville. Normally, it was Tracey or Astoria who mentioned Neville in an effort to tease Daphne. So she was a little suspicious when Hermione touched on the subject.

"You have been so good for Neville, Daphne. He's coming out of his shell more and more every day. Having you in his life has given him more confidence than I could have hoped for."

Hermione chuckled and shook her head. "When you first mentioned your crush on Neville last term, I was gobsmacked. I never would have thought poor clumsy Neville would end up with Slytherins own Ice Queen!" Hermione hadn't said it meanly, but something broke inside Daphne when she said it.

Daphne sighed and set her quill down. "I hate being called that," she murmured, frowning at the table in front of her.

Her voice sounded so sad that Hermione put her hand on Daphne's shoulder. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "It's just, everyone who knows who you are calls you that."

Daphne was silent. Hermione could see tears building in the other girl's eyes, and she gave Daphne's shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"I'm not though, you know…I'm not." Hermione could barely hear her. "That's one reason I like Neville so much. He knew me from before, and I can just be myself around him."

Daphne was silent am moment again before she sniffed and turned to face Hermione. Looking into the other girl's eyes and seeing nothing but compassion in them, it was like a dam broke inside Daphne, and everything came pouring out in a flood.

"I was six when my mother died. My father did not take her death well. The grief was so overwhelming that his mind collapsed on itself, and he could barely function. He had horrible nightmares and barely slept. He drank a lot. For well over a year he was like that. It became so bad that a friend of his from school came to stay at the manor and take care of my sister and I. Father had dated her older sister when they were all at Hogwarts, and she was sort of like an aunt to us. Still is, actually. She's filled the roll of a mother for us, along with Tracey's mum. Astoria was only four at the time, and I wanted to protect her from horrible grief that my father and I were experiencing. So, I bottled everything up. Whenever I was around other people, I kept a placid, neutral expression, even if inside I was dying. Only at night when I was alone in my room, or around Tracey, her mum, or Andromeda, could I let the emotions out. And when I came to Hogwarts and Slytherin House, it just sort of continued on. It's safer not letting my emotions show most of the time in Slytherin…safer for everyone." She paused again. "But I am _not_ an 'ice queen'."

Hermione was horrified by Daphne's confession of her family's troubles.. "Did…did your father ever hurt you or your sister?" She was almost afraid to ask.

Daphne gave a shake of her head and a very emphatic "No." She sighed again. "Father was never violent or angry with us. We hardly saw him. And when we did he was almost like an inferious, barely aware of anything happening around him, wandering aimlessly through the manor or around the gardens. At one point, it got so bad that Aunt Andromeda and Tracey's mum had to literally force him to eat. Like, they had to sit him down and feed him. It was horrible." Daphne shuddered.

"Anyway, that was years ago. He's gotten much better since, back to normal. And yet, something is missing in him. It's like he just _exists_, sort of drifting through life, not really _living_ it."

Hermione was musing over Daphne's words when a thought struck her. A rather terrible thought. Eyes wide, she turned to Daphne and grabbed her wrist. "Did you say Andromeda took care of you and your sister? Andromeda _Tonks_?"

Daphne nodded, looking confused.

"And you said your father dated Andromeda's _older_ sister?"

Another nod.

"Bellatrix!" Hermione whispered. She turned back to Daphne. "Do you know what happened to Neville's parents, Daphne?"

Still confused, Daphne nodded once more. "Neville told me about it once when we were younger. He didn't linger on it much but he said they were curcioed into insanity by some death eaters. But what does that have to do with Andromeda's older sis—" Daphne's voice stopped as her eyes went wide in horror. Her hands flew to her mouth and her eyes filled with tears again. "Oh _MERLIN_, Hermione! I—I never—I…didn't put two and two together! Father never speaks about her, everything I've ever heard about the two of them was from Tracey's mum or Andromeda, and I just didn't realize…oh gods, Neville is going to _hate _me now!" She dropped her head onto her hands and began crying.

Hermione moved closer and put her arms around Daphne's shoulder."Shhh, I'm sure it will be fine. Everyone can see that Neville cares for you very much. And he's not the type to stay angry, especially with those he cares about. But Daphne…you have to tell him. It's not fair for him if you keep it secret. Besides, he's bound to find out about your father and…and Bellatrix at some point. Keeping it from him will just make it worse, in the long run."

Daphne looked up at Hermione, eyes blurry with tears. "B-b-but, what if he doesn't want to be around me anymore? Oh, Hermione, I—I don't know if I can risk it!" And yet, she knew Hermione was right. Keeping it secret from Neville would be far worse in the long run.

"I'm afraid," she whispered.

Hermione hugged her. "I know. But you have to do it, Daphne. If you care about him—and I know you do—you have to tell him."

Hermione was correct, of course. And the opportunity came about a week later. With Hermione's help, Daphne managed to tell Neville about the past romantic relationship between Bellatrix and Daphne's father. Daphne was sitting next to Hermione and across from Neville in an empty classroom after supper on Monday evening. She had a tight grip on Hermione's hand during her talk.

Neville did not spoken a word from the moment Hermione and Daphne had said they needed to talk to him. When she was finished, Daphne saw many different emotions moving across Neville's face: pain, anger, rage, sadness, longing, anger again, longing again.

"Do…do you hate me, Neville?" Daphne asked in a small voice.

Neville was frowning. He shook his head and stood abruptly. "I—I need to go. I need to think." He ran a hand through his hair and, still frowning, he hurried from the room. Daphne collapsed against Hermione. "Oh, he hates me now, Hermione! I know he does!" she sobbed into Hermione's shoulder.

Hermione hugged her. "I'm sure he doesn't hate you. He just needs some time to process. All boys do. I'm certain everything will be fine."

But Neville avoided Daphne the entire week. Any time he'd see her coming he'd duck down another hallway, or turn around and hurry the opposite direction. At meals, he didn't even look at her. Daphne felt like she was dying on the inside. She wanted to march right up to Hermione and yell, "I TOLD YOU SO!" But she didn't because despite it all, Hermione was still right. Neville had needed to know.

Friday after dinner, Daphne was heading to the library. When she heard her name called from behind. And she recognized the voice. Stopping, she turned slowly, uncertain of what was about to happen. Neville walked up to her. "Are you going to Hogsmead tomorrow?" He asked, looking at the floor, a worried yet hopeful look on his face.

"Yes," Daphne replied. "I'm going with Tracey and Astoria." Her voice was flat, and she too looked at the floor, so she hadn't seen the look of fear that crossed his eyes a split second before it was replaced by relief.

"Would you be kind enough to meet me at the Three Broomsticks at Ten?" He was being very formal, and still looking at the ground. But he sounded a bit more confident than he had moments before.

Daphne nodded. When Neville didn't say anything further, she sighed and turned back to the way she'd been heading. After a few steps she paused. Looking over her shoulder she murmured, "I miss you, Neville." Then she hurried down the corridor out of his sight, before he could see her crying.

But Neville had heard the sob that escaped her just before she turned the corner, and he felt like someone had punched him in the gut…

Tracey and Astoria accompanied Daphne to the pub the following morning at Ten. Daphne had almost chickened out, but the other two girls had each taken her by the arm and marched her to the door. Then they both hugged her, whispered things such as, "It'll be fine, you'll see," and gave her a gentle shove inside the building.

It took Daphne a moment for her eyes to adjust to the low lighting in the room. Since it was early, there weren't many people in the place yet. She spied Neville sitting in a booth near the back, and her stomach twisted into knots as she realized it was the same booth they had sat in when they began their romance. She couldn't help but think he'd chosen that booth in particular because he wanted to end their relationship where it had begun.

Daphne couldn't handle the feelings surging through her. She was about to turn and bolt out the door, but Neville had seen her. Standing, he motioned her over. She sighed and headed towards him. Sliding into the seat across from him, she murmured "Hello, Neville."

"Hullo, Daphne," he replied still standing and just staring at her. Merlin, she was beautiful.

She cast a curious look at him, and he realized that he was still standing. He gave a nervous chuckle and sat down. Neither spoke for several moments, each lost in their own thoughts. Neville was staring at Daphne, basking in her presence and overcome with her beauty. '_I'm a complete idiot,' _he thought, _'missing out on time I could have spent with this amazing woman because of something that happened decades in the past , which neither of us have control over.' _

Daphne was busy inspecting the table cloth, afraid to look up at him for fear of what she would see in his face. After several more moments of silence, Daphne spoke. "Was there something you wanted to talk about?"

"Yes, there was, in fact," Neville said, somehow managing to find his voice at last. And he was surprised at how clear it sounded, considering the gigantic lump in his throat. He hesitantly reached out for her hand. She stiffened at the initial contact, then allowed him to pull her hand to the middle of the table. _'Oh, Hecate help me, here comes the break up speech!'_ Daphne thought. Her stomach tightened.

"Wait, I almost forgot…I got you these." He reached down to the seat beside him and handed Daphne a huge pack of Sugar Quills. "I heard they're your favorite."

Daphne looked at the package in her hands, confused. But Neville wasn't done yet. "I also got you these flowers. I've been growing them in the greenhouses at school." He handed her a bouquet of some of the most beautiful flowers she'd ever seen. She inhaled their heady aroma, and it was glorious.

"And here are some chocolates. Can never go wrong with chocolates, can you?' A large box was pushed across the table. Her look of confusion grew.

"I also got you this quill set, and some extra rolls of parchment. I know you and Hermione do a lot of studying together."

'_Oh, Merlin,'_ Daphne's mind said. _'He's breaking up with me and trying to ease into it by giving me all these gifts!' _She looked at the pile of gifts she'd just received, not sure of what to say.

Once again, Neville came to her rescue by speaking first.

"I'm sorry. I've been so stupid. A complete fool. Will you forgive me, Daphne?"

Daphne's brain froze. She blinked at the table a couple times, then raised her eyes to Neville's and blinked a couple more times.

"Wh-what?" She managed to choke out.

"I'm sorry I've ignored you this past week. It was wrong of me, and I have no excuse for it. I was knocked for a loop when you told me about your father and Belllll…about that woman, that the anger I feel towards her spilled out at everyone. I didn't know how to respond, and I reacted poorly. Like a big baby. Hermione cornered me and chewed me out, said I better make things right with you. And to top it all off, Thursday night at supper I got a package from your dad. It was some pictures of him and my folks, and your mum. He told me about all the good times he'd spent with my dad and mum, and how sorry he was for what had happened to them. He…he said he was glad that you and I had gotten reacquainted, and hoped that we could make it work together."

The tears had started falling from Daphne's eyes soon after Neville had started speaking, and as he continued the flow of tears did too. A small part of her mind registered that she'd have to thank Hermione for giving Neville the nudge that got him to start talking to her again.  
Neville suddenly realized that she was crying. Frantic, he stood up and moved to sit next to her. "What's wrong, Daphne?" He asked. "What did I do now? Tell me, please! I swear I'll fix it, whatever it was!" His voice had a pleading tone to it.

Daphne, sobbing now, smiled and threw her arms around Neville, crushing him in a hug, which he returned. She lay her head on his shoulder. Neville buried his face in her silky hair and kissed her head. _'She smells like vanilla,'_ he thought. _'Oh, I've missed this!'_

'_I don't ever want to let go,' _Daphne thought.

Neville and Daphne sat in the pub more than four hours, talking, laughing, holding hands, eating and drinking. It wasn't until their friends showed up to collect them—Astoria and Tracey first, with smirks on their faces, followed in short order by Harry, Ron, and an also smirking Hermione—that they realized how late in the day it was. As a group, the friends headed back to school.

**(End Main flashback)**

Neville smiled in the darkness again. He never wanted this feeling to go away. He never wanted another woman in his life, if not his beautiful Slytherin. But, did he love her? Could he really spend the rest of his life with her? Heck, he'd already spent the better part of his life in her orbit. They'd both had crushes on each other most of their lives. He liked her dad, despite his…past relationship with a certain dark witch who Neville felt nothing but utter hatred for.

But Neville wanted to be certain he loved her before he said it. He refused to be one of "those" types of guys who told women they loved them in order to manipulate them or get something from them. No, he didn't want to purposefully pursue a woman just to use her and toss her aside. He'd see how things went the next few months, and then maybe he _would_ have a talk with William Greengrass about the future…a future that included William's older daughter. With thoughts of Daphne on his mind, Neville drifted off to sleep, still smiling.

The following Monday night after supper, Daphne was returning to her dorm in order to retrieve some things she needed for her study meeting with Hermione. As she headed back through the semi-empty corridors, most still being in the Great Hall finishing their meals, a loud POP sounded from a few feet away. Startled, Daphne turned to see a miserable looking house elf.

"Lizzy? What is it? What's wrong? Is it something with father?" Daphne began to panic. Why would Lizzy be here, unless…

"Oh Miss," Lizzy wailed, sobbing and yanking on her ears. "Poor, poor Master is in such a bad way! He doesn't sleep, he doesn't eat, he does nothing but drink and mumble and wander around the big house! Oh Miss, Lizzy is scared! Poor Master may die! Lizzy doesn't know what to do, so Lizzy came to see Miss Daphne for help!"

Daphne didn't know what to do. Her father had promised her that it wouldn't come to this again, but it seemed as though it had. Daphne had never seen Lizzy this distraught since her mother died. Her first thought was the one she acted on. "Lizzy, go back and keep an eye on father. I'll send help as soon as I can."

Giving a miserable nod and one final wail, Lizzy disappeared. Taking off at a near run, Daphne headed for the Slytherin common room, hoping to Merlin it was empty. She didn't need to air her family's dirty laundry in front of anyone. She had a floo call to make.

Overjoyed to indeed find the room empty, Daphne tossed powder into the fireplace. As the flames roared and hissed, she composed herself as best she could and said, "Andromeda Tonks."

After a few moments, Andromeda's voice replied from the fire. "Daphne? What's wrong, love? You sound upset."

"It—it's father." She managed to say before the tears started. "Oh Aunt Andromeda, Lizzy was just here and she was frantic! She said father is in a really bad way! I hate to bother you, but could you maybe go and—"

Andromeda cut her off. "Daphne, don't apologize. I'll get my coat and head right over. I'll keep you posted. Try not to worry, sweetheart. I won't leave him until things are in order. Sit tight. I'll floo you once I know what's going on." The flames died down. A bit of relief washed over Daphne…she knew if anyone could set her father right it would be Andromeda.

She wondered if she should let the Davis know too, but she was on the verge of a breakdown and needed help herself. She couldn't tell Astoria. She refused to let her little sister worry. No, she was the oldest. The responsibility was hers to bear.

She couldn't tell Tracey either, not just yet at least. Astoria would surely find out sooner than she should if Daphne told Tracey. But who else was there? Hermione wouldn't understand, at least not well.

Neville. She had to find Neville. Hermione was in the library. She would know where Neville was! Daphne took off for the library…

As it turned out, Neville was just leaving the library with Harry. They were heading towards the Slytherin dungeons because Hermione was worried about Daphne. She had missed their study time, which she never did, and alarm bells had sounded in Hermione's mind.

As they neared the dungeons, the very person they were seeking came tearing around a corner. When she saw them, she launched herself straight into Neville's arms, sobbing. Harry was not at all used to seeing this side of Daphne, and was somewhat taken aback. Maybe Hermione was right about Daphne not really being an "ice queen". Neville put his arms around her and attempted to calm his hysterical girlfriend down.

"What's wrong, love? What is it?" A thought struck him and he became angry. "Did someone hurt you? Was it that prat _Malfoy_? I swear by Morgana, if he put one hand on you, I'll—"

Daphne cut him off. Shaking her head, she managed to get a few words out between sobs. "I-it's my f-father!" Then she lost herself to sobbing and clinging to Neville.

And poor Neville had no idea what to do with the sobbing girl clinging to him, or what was wrong with her father. He was afraid to ask too many questions, so he turned to Harry. "Can you go find Tracey or Astoria for me mate?" He asked in a quiet voice. Harry nodded and was turning to leave when Daphne reached out and grabbed Harry by the sleeve.

"N-NO! You c-can't tell A-Astoria! Not yet! Please!" Frantic, Neville looked at Harry for help. Harry shrugged, then said, "Hermione?"

Neville nodded. "Come on, Daph. We'll take you to Hermione, and we'll all have a talk. Is that ok?"

Daphne nodded, her face still buried against Neville's chest. Supporting most of Daphne's weight against his side, the three headed off to the library.

**First, I apologize for the length of this chapter. It's really freaking long. I had thought to split in half, but couldn't find a decent place to do so. Second, I apologize for taking so long. My schedule is pretty whack these days. :/ And to the two of you reading this, thank you and I hope you enjoyed it.**


	5. Chapter 5: Three Wise Women

**A/N: One little caveat here: there is a minor scene of a drunken rage in this chapter. No one is hurt or anything, but just in case anyone who reads this is bothered by such things, I wanted to mention it. Also, if anyone isn't sure what the "Dis" is that is mentioned in that poem fragment at the beginning, Dis is the name of the city that occupies the 6****th**** through the 9****th**** circles of Hell. Anywho, enjoy.**

**THREE WISE WOMEN**

"**Once, I think I half remember,  
Ere the grey skies of November quenched my youth's aspiring ember  
Lived there such a thing as bliss;  
Skies that now are dark were beaming; Golden, azure, splendid seeming!  
Till I learned it all was dreaming—  
Deadly drowsiness of Dis."**

Andromeda ended the floo call with Daphne and sighed. "Oh, William." She hurried to her room and changed into traveling clothes. Grabbing a small bag from the closet, she filled it with enough items to hold her over for a few days. If it was getting as bad as it had been before, she knew she wouldn't dare to leave Will alone in the house for a while.

Ted leaned against the doorframe and folded his arms across his chest as he watched his wife scurry around their room. "You know, Andi, if I was the jealous type, I'd swear you and Will had a thing for each other."

Andromeda turned and gave him what he called "the Black Stare". "Well, if you're so jealous, _darling_, why don't you come along with me and keep an eye on us." Her voice was mockingly sweet, as if she was talking to a child. It was times like this when Ted was reminded that Andi and Bella were indeed sisters.

He smirked. "No thanks, I'll pass. Besides, I have work in the morning."

Returning his smirk with one of her own, she walked up to him and gave him a lingering kiss. "If that doesn't convince you my heart is yours, I don't know what will."

Ted grinned and wagged his eyebrows. "Oh, I can think of a couple things." He pulled his wife closer.

Andromeda laughed and smacked his arm, then pulled him in for a hug. "Not now, my love. Anticipation makes pleasure more intense, as they say." She kissed him again.

"Besides, William needs help. He's about the closest thing to a brother I've ever had. And after Sirius, William was the only family member who didn't reject me when I married you. He's always supported us. I owe him for that. Daphne and Astoria need me there, too. They need a functioning father, not a drunken, emotional mess of one. They've been through this once already. I can't let them go through it again."

She lowered her voice. "And I owe it to Bella, as well. The Bella who used to be. The big sister who always looked out for us. I'll do what I can to help the man she loved because I—I still love _her_." Tears gathered in Andromeda's eyes as her mind went back to the days of their childhood.

Ted hugged her closer to him. "You do, don't you?" His voice was soft.

Andromeda nodded. "I do. In spite it all—despite the terrible things she's done, despite how she treated us in the past, despite what she's become—I still love her." Stepping out of the hug, she turned and took a coat out of the closet. Zipping it up, she gave Ted one last kiss. "I'm not certain how long I'll be gone, love, but you know where to reach me." She walked into the back garden and down the porch steps. About half way along the path she disappeared with a pop.

Protecting the Greengrass estate were some of the most powerful wards known in magical society. No one that the Greengrass family didn't want getting through could do so. Many had tried over the years, and without fail, they had all been killed by the magic within the wards. Andromeda, however, had been keyed to them since she was young, being that she was a close relative.

Aparating just outside the boundary of the estate, she walked through the wards and up to the gate leading into to the front lane. The gate swung open for her as she approached. Apprehension filled her the closer she got to the house, not knowing what to expect and frightened at what she would find. Andromeda had seen William at his worst. And if Daphne's tearful floo cal was any indication, she feared it might be almost as bad as the previous time.

she walked up the front porch steps, and before she could even knock, the door was opened by a sobbing Lizzy.

"Oh, Mistress Andromeda! Lizzy is so thankful you are here! Lizzy doesn't know what to do with poor Master! Lizzy fears he may _die_!" The poor elf was frantic. Closing the door, she took Andromeda's coat.

"Where is he, Lizzy?" Andromeda asked.

"Poor Master is in the study! Oh, Lizzy is so worried! Master hasn't been this bad since poor Mistress Mary died!" The elf began tugging her ears in dismay.

Apprehension filled Andromeda at Lizzy's comment on William's state of mind. She knelt down and hugged the sobbing creature. "It will be alright, Lizzy. You are a good elf, and we all love you. Now, can you please go and make me some tea?"

"Yes, Mistress Andromeda," Lizzy replied. "Oh, Lizzy is so very glad you are here!" She squeezed Andromeda's hand and scurried away to the kitchen.

Andromeda took a deep breath as she approached the study. Entering the room, she closed the door and allowed her eyes to adjust to the dimness. The only light came from a fire burning low in the grate. A chair had been pulled close to the fireplace. William sat hunched forward in the chair, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders, staring into the flames. He didn't make any indication that he had heard her enter the room. The number of empty fire whiskey bottle scattered on the floor around his chair might have explained that… and judging by the broken glass on the hearth he must have smashed at least one into the fireplace.

The room smelled like an unwashed man. Andromeda noted that William was sporting a beard. Not merely stubble, as if he hadn't shaved for a couple of days, but rather a full beard.

"Will?" She said. Still no response. Andromeda moved around so that she was standing in front of him, blocking his view of the fire. And still he sat there, looking through her as though she were invisible. His eyes had a blank, vacant look to them. "Will?" She tried again, and again got no response.

Taking him by the shoulders, she said "William!" in a loud voice.

He stirred, turning blurry eyes to her face. He blinked and squinted, then a smile spread across his face, and he exclaimed, "Bella?! Is that you?" Shooting to his feet he reached out towards her.

Andromeda, taken off guard, stepped back from him as he lurched in her direction, until he paused and frowned. "A-Andi? Andi, why are _you_ here?" His speech was slurred.

William's face twisted in to a glare of rage. "DAMN IT, WHY DO YOU HAVE TO LOOK SO MUCH LIKE HER?" Turning with a movement much more fluid than a drunken man should have, he scooped one of the empty bottles off the floor and hurled it into the fireplace.

Andromeda jumped to the side, shock and horror in her expression. William tottered back towards the chair but didn't make it, collapsing to his knees on the floor and starting to sob. "Oh, Andi, I think I'm losing my mind!"

Andromeda knelt beside him and took him into her arms, rocking him like a child as he cried on her shoulder. "Shhh, I'm here, Will. I'm not going anywhere until I help you get through this."

Andromeda half lifted William off the floor and led him to the sofa, helping him lie down on it. She gave him one of the Dreamless Sleep potions she had brought with her, and he fell asleep almost at once. She moved to cover him with the blanket he had dropped, but decided against it as her nose wrinkled in disgust from the smell. She called Lizzy and asked for a clean blanket. Then she settled into the armchair near the window to make certain William remained asleep.

Next morning, when Will woke up, he had a massive hangover, as Andromeda had assumed he would. Dipping once more into the supply of potions she had brought, she gave him one for hangovers, and another one for headaches. Once the potions took effect, she made him drink two cups of coffee followed by a glass of water. Then she sent him to his room to clean up.

"Oh, and Will?" Andromeda called as he started down out of the dining room.

He paused, and turned toward her.

"Please make sure you shave, too. That beard just doesn't suit you."

William instinctively moved to his hand his face and rubbed his chin and jaw. "Yes, ma'am," he replied as he exited the room. Andromeda smirked.

**(XXX)**

True to her word, Andromeda stayed for over two weeks. The first thing she had done, after contacting a very worried and frightened Daphne and telling her that her father was going to be alright, was have Lizzy remove all the firewhiskey from the house. In fact, Andromeda told Lizzy to remove _all_ the alcohol in the house—even the butterbeer. There had been some feeble protest from William about this, but Andromeda had curtailed it by giving William the "Black Stare", and he had lapsed into sullen silence.

She then put William on a very strict diet, high in complex carbohydrates and dairy with smaller amounts of protein thrown in. She had also brought along various potions for him that would help with detox. She only allowed him coffee, tea, and water to drink. His improvement was rapid.

Andromeda was happy that she had gotten to him before he became as bad as he had after Mary died. William was not as far gone as he had been then. And this current downward spiral of losing himself to alcohol was not brought on by depression. After he'd been sober for a few days and was showing signs of becoming more like himself, she had sat in the study with him one evening and they talked.

"I think I might understand the cause of these dreams you keep experiencing, Will. I've done a bit of research and I think I may have an answer." A couple nights after Andromeda had arrived, once William was first sober, he had told her in depth about the dreams he was having, and that the dreams had been the reason for his drinking, as he had been hoping the alcohol would suppress the dreams. And how instead of suppressing them, it had made the dreams worse and more lucid.

"Now, please hear me out." Andromeda was a little nervous because she knew how touchy the subject of Bella and William's love was. But he needed to hear what she had discovered.

"There is a belief that when two people are in love, their souls become…bonded to one another. When one is hurting, the other hurts. When one suffers, the other suffers. When one is happy, the other is happy. And so on. And if something becomes too intense for one to handle on their own, they will reach out to their other half and cry for help. I think that's what's happening to you, Will. I think those dreams are Bella reaching out to you and crying for help."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous, Andi! Whatever Bella and I had, it's in the past. Listen to yourself! What are you trying to say, that she and I are soul mates or some nonsense?"

Andromeda shrugged. "Yes, that _is_ what I think.

In a rage, William Shouted, "DAMN IT, ANDi, _**I LOVED MARY!"**_

"I _KNOW_ YOU DID, WILL!" replied an equally angry Andromeda. "BUT YOU LOVED BELLA, _TOO_!"

William stood there, his mouth hanging open as realization dawned on him. Yet still his mind refused to accept it…a person couldn't love two people with the same amount of love. It was ludicrous! Wasn't it?

Andromeda sighed, and put her face in her hands a moment to compose herself. When she resumed speaking, her voice was soft.

"Soul mates isn't a pre-existing condition, something that helps you find your 'other half'. It happens when two people love each other with every fiber of their being. It develops _after _the love bond is built, not _before_. That's where everyone gets it wrong. Do you remember what happened to you after you lost Mary?"

"Don't be stupid, Andi! Of _course _I do!" William muttered.

"Well allow me explain what happened to Bella after she lost you. The day she lost you, the day our father _sold_ Bella to that…that _beast _of a manLestrange, she died inside. She ceased being the big sister who always looked out for Narcissa and me. When you two were torn apart, her mind began to cave in on itself, and the hate and fear and anger and rage and emptiness all came pouring in. The day she became Bellatrix Lestrange was the day Bellatrix Black died."

She looked at him. "You know what I'm talking about, William…you've enough Black inside you to feel that swirling vortex of rage and madness. I certainly feel it inside of me. When my family disowned me I nearly gave in to it myself. But I had Ted, and Sirius, and a few other friends to help me get through it. You almost succumbed to it as well, but fought against it. Like me, you had friends that helped you. Poor Bella had no one to help her, so she succumbed to the darkness. How could she not?

"Bella used to owl me once a week, even after I was kicked out of the family. After a while, the owls became farther apart, two weeks, a month, two months…then they just stopped. And every letter became more disjointed, more hurtful. She railed against father and mother. She railed against Rudolphus and his idiot brother. She railed against me. She even railed against the Dark Lord himself! But she never railed against you, Will. Not once. At first she would ask how you were, and eventually she stopped. But never did she say anything negative about _you_."

Andromeda fell silent, letting her words sink in to William's brain.

"Bella is reaching out to you, Will," Andromeda said. "Her soul sought yours in her anguish. She's crying for help, begging you to save her. To rescue her from that living hell she's been condemned to. And I'm afraid the dreams won't stop until you do save her, or descend into madness yourself."

"And how exactly do you expect me to rescue Bella, Andi? I can't very well just stroll up to the gates of Azkaban and politely ask the Dementors to release her. And the Ministry is not going to help me either." William dropped onto the sofa, resting his elbows on his knees and burying his face in his hands.

Andromeda sat down beside him. "The Greengrass magic," she said in a low voice. "The Greengrasses are one of the most power families in all of magical society, in Britain or anywhere else. And there are old legends amongst the other pureblood families about the incredible, almost primal magic that the Greengrasses are said to possess." She touched William's arm. "Use that magic and save my sister. Please!" She sounded almost frantic.

William shot an incredulous stare at her. "You don't know what you're asking!"

Andromeda leaned closer. "Can you do it, Will? Can you save her?"

Agitated William stood up again and began pacing. "Maybe," he conceded. "But, Andi, you're not making any sense! I might be able to…to get her out. But what that would require is something I don't know if I should let loose on the world! And even if it was successful, Bella is gone, she's crazy! I mean, you don't see her in those dreams, Andi—hysterical, muttering, rocking back and forth, screaming. And you know what's she did before she was sent to Azkaban, the horrible things she was accused of. She'd probably kill me and try to go back to Voldermort."

Andromeda flinched a little at Voldermort's name. She stood and went to William. "No one knows what happened for certain during those times she was accused of committing those atrocities. Oh, I have no doubt that at least some of them are true. Perhaps all of them, but I don't believe that. I know my sister's still in there somewhere, Will. Stuck inside that shell of a mad woman that she's become. I _know _it. I _feel _it! If there's any chance to save her—any chance at _all_—I_ want_ that chance!"

William stopped his pacing and stared out the window into the darkness. He was quiet for several moments. "I'll think about it, Andi. OK? That's the best I can promise you. There's so much that could go wrong, so much at stake that I can't make any other promises. But Hecate knows I owe you that much at least, after everything you've done for me and the girls."

Andromeda squeezed his arm. "Thank you, Will. That's all I can ask for. I've made my pitch, and I'll accept your decision, whatever it may be." She sighed and rubbed her forehead. "And now I think I'll go up to bed. I have a splitting headache. Good night, Will."

"Night, Andi." William remained standing at the window for several minutes after Andromeda had left before he too headed up to his room. Downing another dreamless sleep potion, he drifted into oblivion.

**(XXX)**

The next day after lunch, William was sitting in his study reading the Daily Prophet. Or trying to. His conversation with Andromeda from the previous night kept playing through his head, making it difficult to concentrate. Finally he gave it up and set the paper on the small table beside his chair. Leaning back, he closed his eyes. The room was silent except for the ticking of the clock on his desk near the window. He let the peace of the quiet early afternoon envelope him.

"You've been asleep for too long, Will. It's time for you to wake up."

William jerked in his chair. It was the same room, the same time of day with the same sunlight streaming in through the windows. But the room was no longer empty. Across from him on the sofa sat Mary. His wife. Looking every bit as beautiful as she had the day she was taken from him ten years earlier. She was reading a book, but looked up at him and smiled.

"M-Mary?" He rasped. He started to stand, to rush over and take her in his arms and kiss her with the pent up long of ten years. But he stopped halfway to his feet and sank down on the chair again. "No, it isn't you. Not really. Just another stupid dream," he muttered.

Mary shrugged, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Perhaps. Perhaps not. But I do know one thing, Will. You need to listen to Andi. She's right. You still love Bellatrix. And the two of you need each other."

"Oh for Merlin's sake," William growled. "Now even my guilty conscience is taunting me." He looked the apparition of Mary in the eye. "I loved _you_, Mary. And I still do! Not a day passes that I don't think of you."

Mary smiled. "I know you loved me, Will. You showed me that every day we were together, my darling. But you loved Bella first. And you are such a wonderful and giving man that there is more than enough room in your heart for you to love two women with equal amounts of passion. Stop beating yourself up about it."

Mary stood. Setting her book on the sofa, she walked over and knelt in front of William. Taking his hands in her own, she looked him in the eyes and smiled again…smiled that beautiful smile he'd missed for so long.

"Oh, my sweet husband. Please stop grieving for me. You gave me more than I could have ever dreamed of. The decade we spent as husband and wife were the best years of my life. We made two beautiful, precious daughters together. I'm sorry I couldn't stay here for them and for you. But if I had it to do all over again, even if it ended the same way once more…I wouldn't change a thing. However there is something I need you to do for me, Will."

William's mouth was so dry he could barely speak "What?" He managed to croak. "I'll do _anything_ for you, Mary! Just name it!"

"_Live_. Stop dwelling in the past. Live for _me_. Live for our _girls_, and always be there for them. Love our grandchildren. Save Bella. Let her love you and you love her back. Grow old together. Be _happy_. And when the time comes for you to pass beyond the Gate—which had better be a _very_ long time from now!—I'll be waiting for you."

Mary leaned in and gave him a gentle kiss. Then, resting her forehead against his and looking him in the eye, she whispered, "Wake up, Will!"

William jerked again, and sat bolt upright in his chair. Mary was gone. Bird songs filtered in through the window. The clock was still ticking on the desk. He swept a rapid glance around the room and found it empty. With a sigh, he collapsed back into the chair. "It was just a dream after all," he mumbled. Then his gaze fell on the sofa across from him, where Mary had been sitting. His eyes widened and he made a noise that that was something between a sob and a laugh, he lurched out of the chair and staggered over to the sofa, dropping to his knees in front of it.

There sat the very book Mary had been reading, closed and in the exact spot where she had set it. William hugged the book to himself and squeezed his eyes shut. "I love you, Mary," he whispered. "And I'm sorry." He began to sob.

Andromeda, passing by in the hallway, heard him sobbing and rushed into the room. Kneeling beside him, she put her arms around him. "Will?! What is it? What's wrong? Are you all right?"

He forced himself to stop crying. Taking a couple of very deep breaths, he smiled at Andromeda. 'Yeah, I think I'm going to be ok now, Andi." She helped him to his feet and he wiped his eyes. Glancing down at the book, he smiled again. "Everything is going to work out." He sighed and looked at Andromeda. "I'm going to take a little walk around the gardens. Get some air." He handed the book to a very perplexed Andromeda , walked through the dining room and out the back door.

He took his time wandering across the estate grounds before arriving at the gigantic oak near the back of the Greengrass property. Will sat down against the tree overlooking the large pond and closed his eyes. This was the spot he went to when he needed peace. Only animal noises and water sounds reached him here. He had to think. First the talk with Andi and then the lucid dream about Mary…if it was a dream. He wanted to sort things out.

William sighed, leaning his head back against the oak and stretching his legs out in front of him. Birds sang in the trees above. Fish made plopping noises as they ate insects unlucky enough to land on the surface of the pond. The autumn breeze sighed through the grass, which was getting rather tall. He'd have to have the elves trim it down a bit.

What to do about Bella. Should he really send _them_ to rescue her from Azkaban? That would bring an entirely new set of difficulties. He was quite sure that Andi didn't grasp the full power of the magic he had at his disposal. But it was still disconcerting that she had any idea at all. Because if she did, it was certain that others had made educated guesses as well. That idiot Headmaster, for instance. And if they broke Bellatrix out and brought her here, Dumbledore's eyes would be directed towards William.

And Bella…if Andi was right, and William could think of no sound reason why she wasn't, he and Bella were somehow connected on a spiritual level. Connected by the soul, perhaps. Preposterous! Such things didn't happen. If he saved her, the dreams might stop. Might. But then, he'd have a crazy woman to deal with. Was there even anything left of the woman he loved inside the mind of that poor wretched creature he saw rocking and muttering in the corner of her cell? Andi believed there was.

Azkaban. The entire place was vile. He had felt for years that sending anyone there was cruel and unusual punishment. He was surprised that Sirius had turned out as well as he had. Azkaban should be torn down and destroyed, once and for all.

William became aware of a gentle splashing sound from the pond. It sounded as though someone were wading up out of the water and heading to shore. His heart leaped, but he didn't move, still sitting with his eyes closed. Whoever it was had reached the shore now. Footsteps headed toward him, crunching on the leaves that had already fallen from the oak.

The footsteps paused a couple feet from him. A shadow fell across his face, blocking the sunlight. He held his breath. There was silence for several moments. The shadow didn't move. "Hello, William," someone said. The voice was gentle, female, and had an almost musical quality to it.

He smiled. "I was beginning to wonder if I would ever see you again," he replied. "It's been quite a while."

Musical laughter, and the shadow moved. Someone sat down on the grass next to him. "Indeed it has, my boy. But I've seen you here many a day these last several years. The girls are growing into beautiful and intelligent young ladies. You've done well."

He opened his eyes and turned his head toward the woman. She looked exactly the same as she had the other three times he'd seen her: wavy, nut brown hair that fell almost to her waist, crowned with water lilies on her brow, ice-blue eyes (which he always believed was where Daphne and Astoria got their eye color from), shimmery green dress dropping to her ankles, bare feet…she never changed, despite the fact that she must be nearly two thousand years old now.

"The girls seldom come out here to the pond, Lady. How is it you've seen them?"

She laughed her musical laugh again. "There _is_ a lake at Hogwarts, after all. I watch over my children wherever they are. I will allow nothing to harm my offspring. You and the girls are the last of my line, for now."

William glanced at her and raised an eyebrow. "For now? What's that supposed to mean?"

The Lady shrugged, the corner of her mouth tugging upwards. "I'm quite certain Daphne and Astoria will have children some day. And beyond that, well…one never knows, does one? 'There are more things in Heaven and Earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy,' as they say. However, the immediate thing is to rescue your love from that horrible place."

William snorted. "If she even remembers me after all this time, and with her mind gone." His voice was low.

The Lady put her arm across his shoulders. "Do not lose your resolve, dear one. Love is, after all, the strongest of magics by far. The Creator tells us that 'Love is as strong as death'. I think you will find that the heart never truly forgets."

The Lady leaned her head against William's. "Listen to what her sister told you. Save her, she needs you…and _you_ need _her_, my dear boy. The Greengrasses need her. Bring her here. She has gone mad, but you are the key to her healing. And she is the key to your peace. Your love for her and her love for you, together with our magic, will heal the evil that was done to her."

William looked at her. "The only way to free Bella is by calling on the Dark Dwellers. No one has invoked them for what, a thousand years?"

The Lady pondered a moment, tapping her chin in thought. "In faith, I'd say closer to two thousand. It was I who called upon them the last time. But what of it? As the muggles say: 'desperate times call for desperate measures.' Are you afraid to call them up?"

William shifted uncomfortably. "Well, yes, a bit. Once they've done their job, will they just go back?"

The Lady's musical laugh rang out again. "They are bound to me and my line. They will do as they are told. We have the words that call them up, after all. Our family and no other. True, they can be somewhat dangerous and rather unpredictable at times. But they are tools, nothing more. And they cannot harm us."

She could tell that William was still unconvinced. She put her hand on his arm and spoke in a gentle voice. "The key, William dear, is to _use_ the dark without _becoming_ dark yourself. I know that the darkness swirls in your mind. You get that from your grandmother. It runs like a curse in the blood of the Black family. Poor Bellatrix is closer to that darkness, even without her time in that hellish prison. It will be difficult for both of you. That is why they will bring her here. Together we will heal her."

William was close to conceding, but he still had one card left to play. "If I do this, it won't be long before one or the other of the two sides, or probably _both_ sides, figure out how she escaped and where she is. Then their attention will be directed here. They will come and try to take her from me."

The Lady scoffed. "Let them try! My magic lies upon this land. It is the seat of our power. No one can enter here or harm you. If anyone tries, Nature herself will rise in open warfare against them! Every blade of grass shall become a sword beneath their feet! The branches of the trees will turn to spears, and the trees will walk in anger! The wild things of the woods shall devour them! The unblessed spirits of the night will drive them mad! The wind shall become a gale and blow their bones into the sea!" Her voice had risen and become an almost primal growl. Her eyes were turned from their calm blue into a swirling red fury, her body was glowing, and an almost manic smile was spread across her face.

"That was how your father destroyed those pathetic fools who thought they could drag their war onto our lands," she continued. "Nothing can touch us here. Nothing and no one! Our power, our magic comes from the earth itself! Nothing but the Creator Themselves is stronger than that!"

"What of the girls? Once others find out, they could target the girls in order to get at me and Bella."

Again the Lady laughed. "Oh, William. The girls carry my power within them, even as you do. Even as all Greengrasses have since the family first began. Nature will rise up to protect them, wherever they may be. Yes, outside of the boundaries here it is a bit less safe for them. I am neither omnipotent nor omnipresent. Those attributes belong only to the Creator. And yet, they have my blood, and are therefore safer than other families."

William sighed. "I…what you say is all true. But…"

"But you still need some time to think it through," she finished for him.

He nodded.

The Lady smiled. "Very well. But your decision must be made soon. Time is slipping away, and things are proceeding rapidly towards their conclusion. Yhat is one reason I have come to speak with you. The stars say the potential for success is now at its peak. And that, after all, is the first thing the Creator made the stars for: 'Let them be for signs and for seasons.' It pays to always listen to the Creator when They speak to us."

She paused and looked down the path leading towards the house, cocking her head as though she was listening. She smiled. "Your _'sister'_ is on the way to tell you that supper is ready. I will leave you for now. But do not fear: once your love is brought here, you will see me again. I shall not abandon you." She stood. Leaning down she kissed the top of William's head. "Goodbye for now, dear one." Then she turned and waded back into the pond, disappearing just as Andromeda appeared on the path, calling for William.

**(Later that night…)**

William sat in his study, fingers steepled, staring at the fireplace. Andromeda had returned home after supper, and the house was once again empty; save for Lizzy in the kitchen. Somewhere in the house, a clock struck the half hour. His eyes kept dropping to the piece of parchment on the desk in front of him. The tea in the cup beside his right hand had long since gone cold. And still he sat on in the half-light of the dying fire.

In the last 24 hours, no less than three women had told him, each in no uncertain terms, that Bella needed him…and that he needed her as well. If they had been just random women, he would have laughed them off. But these three women were the most important to him, outside of his daughters. Not even Liz, as close as he was to her, was quite on a par with them: His "sister", a distant ancestor, and his beloved wife.

Andi wanted her sister back and for Will to be at peace; The Lady said Bella needed him, and indeed not just he but his entire family needed Bella; And Mary…Mary had told him to save Bella, and be happy. If the first two reasons weren't enough, which indeed they were, it was Mary's plea that pushed him out of his indecision.

The words on the parchment gave him the power to get Bella out of Azkaban. Yet even now, there was a slight reservation in him. But the voices of the three women played on a constant loop in his mind: "She needs you…you need her…save her…bring her back…set her free."

With a single nod of his head, it was decided. "If that's what it takes to end the dreams and save her, then so be it!" Before he could start second guessing himself again, William stood. Grabbing the parchment, a dagger from a drawer of the desk, and a candle from the end table, he strode out of his office and went up the back staircase. As he passed the clock in the hallway, it began striking Midnight. William's lips twitched up at their corners. Midnight—what muggles called the Witching Hour. He found it rather appropriate.

Reaching the unused third floor, he climbed the rickety ladder at the end of the hallway, and stepped out onto the roof as the muffled sounds of the clock in the second floor hallway struck the last chimes of the hour. Perfect timing for what he was about to do.

Gusts of wind swirled around him, so William lit the candle and set it in an alcove below the railing that ran around the edge of the roof. He placed the parchment at his feet. Clouds scutted across the moon, which was not yet at its half. Facing east, William held his left hand up in a commanding gesture. Taking a deep breath, he began to speak in a language that had not been spoken aloud in almost two thousand years:

"Ash nazg durbatuluk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatuluk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul!"

He took the dagger and cut across the palm of his left hand. Blood dripped down onto the parchment at his feet. He stooped, rolled up the parchment, and held it over the flame of the candle. The parchment caught and disappeared in a burst of flames. William blew the candle out.

Then he waited. The wind died down and stopped. No sounds came to him from the forest below. Without warning, the wind sprang back to life, a gale of an east wind blowing against his face. The temperature began to plummet, and he knew they were coming.

After several moments, as suddenly as it had sprung up, the wind died again. It was cold enough for William to see his breath, though it was only late September. three shapes appeared across the roof from him, tall and dark. So dark that they looked like shadows of emptiness against the stars. One of the shapes moved towards him, stopping about ten feet away. William could see two eyes, very cold though lit with a pale blue light that seemed to come from some remote distance.

"Long years have we waited to be summoned once more," said a voice, deep and cold, that seemed to come out of the ground. "What does the Keeper of the Words require of us?"

William moved closer to the dark shape. "Do you know Azkaban?"

There were angry hisses from the shadowy figures across the roof. "Yes," replied the cold voice of the being in front of him. "It is the place where our enemies dwell."

"There is a woman, Bellatrix. She is a prisoner there, being tormented by your enemies. She is….very precious to me. Find her, and bring her to me safely." William moved even closer to the being, lowering his voice. "And kill anything that gets in your way!" His voice was cold, almost as cold as the voice of the being in front of him.

There were more hisses from the creatures across the roof, but this time they hissed with laughter, and the glow of their eyes increased.

The figure in front of him inclined its head. "It shall be done as you ask, Keeper of the Words." The figure rejoined the two across the roof. A horrifying screech that sounded like some huge animal in agony emanated from the lead being, and the three took to the air. Off in the distance, the screech was echoed. And from the forest dozens more of the dark figures rose into the air joining the three already in flight. Like a solid mass of Midnight, the creatures sped away to the north and east…

William watched until they faded into the darkness of the night, and even after he lost sight of them, he stood there a good while. The noises of Nature started again once the creatures were gone.

"Soon, Bella. Soon you will be free and we will be together once again." He turned and walked towards the trapdoor in the roof. As he started down the ladder, William swore he heard singing from the direction of the pond, carried to his ears on the night wind, and he smiled…

**(The following evening)**

The Headmaster had just returned to his study after supper after another grueling day dealing with that intolerable Umbridge woman. The other professors were ready to revolt against her tyrannical "educational decrees" that seemed to increase by the day. The Ministry was so desperate to deny the return of the Dark Lord that they were starting to act like him in many ways.

An incessant tapping at his window interrupted him in the act of sitting down behind his desk. Sighing, he stood back up and opened the window. And owl hopped in, and Albus took the rolled up piece of parchment from its leg. It was from Kingsley Shacklebolt, a senior Auror and secret member of the Order of the Phoenix.

Unrolling it, he realized it was charmed so that only the recipient could read what it actually said. He tapped his wand on it, and the letters rearranged themselves into a coherent message. Albus read it, let out a soft gasp, read it again, sat down in his chair, and read it once more. Sighing, he dropped the paper on his desk and buried his head in his hands.

"Fawkes, would you be so kind as to get Minerva for me?" He asked the Phoenix on its perch nest to him. The bird trilled and disappeared.

A few minutes later, Minerva entered his office, Her placid expression turned to one of worry when she saw the Headmaster sitting with his head in his hands. "What is it, Albus? What's wrong?"

Dumbledore gestured at the parchment that lay on the desk in front of him, but didn't look up. Frowning, Minerva picked the parchment up and read it. It was a short message:

_Bellatrix Lestrange has escaped from Azkaban. Three Dementors are dead. Will keep you informed._

Minerva's eyes went wide, shock and a trace of fear were evident on her face. "Was it…_him_, Albus?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "No, not even Tom has the strength to kill a Dementor, let alone three of them. Besides, if Tom were going to go to the trouble of attacking Azkaban, and had that kind of power, I'm quite certain he would have broken more than just Bellatrix out. Many of his other most loyal Deatheaters are there as well."

Minerva collapsed into the chair across from the Headmaster. "How? How is this possible? I thought Dementors were unkillable!"

"They are, for humans and most other magical creatures. Even Unicorns or griffins cannot kill a Dementor. There are only two things that have ever been said that possess the ability to kill a Dementor. And both of those are thought to only be myth. It seems we were wrong." He sighed. "I am at a loss for an explanation."

Sighing again, Albus leaned back in his chair and looked at the unflappable Minerva McGonagall. She didn't look unflappable at the moment-her face was pale and her hands shook.

The Headmaster shook his head. "It seems a new player has entered the game."

**A/N: ok, so the "Dark Dwellers" and the spell William used to summon them I borrowed from another fandom. Curious as to whether or not anyone can figure out which fandom they're from. Also, I'm curious to know if anyone can figure out who "The Lady" is, as I borrowed her from actual legends. The poem fragment at the beginning is the second stanza of the poem "Despair" by H. P. Lovecraft. Otherwise, again, I hope whoever read this chapter enjoyed it. **


	6. Chapter 6: Bella's Ascent From Madness

**A/N: Couple things real fast: This chapter takes place almost exclusively inside of Bellatrix' mind. There's only a tiny bit of interaction with the real world. So don't get confused when you see "Bella" talking to "Bellatrix"…Bella represents the light, whilst Bellatrix represents the Bellatrix we all know and love from canon. Second, there are a couple scenes of brutal fighting. Nothing graphic, just briefly intense. Also, torture, because the incident with Neville's parents is shown. **

**Bella's Ascent From Madness**

"**Cathedral tall, cathedral wide, grace provides a place to hide;  
Hour of evil, hour of sin, open up the gates and let me in!  
Hour of anger, pray to die;  
Ours is anguish, there is no sky…"**

Bellatrix Lestrange was a hollow, empty husk of a human, and quite insane. All reason, all love, empathy, compassion had been emptied from her long years ago. The only things that were left was hatred, rage, and darkness. All she could focus on was that thing she hated and feared more than anything else: the Dark Lord. She hated him. She said she loved him. She said he would come for her, when those blood traitors and mudbloods had put her on trial, she yelled it, screamed it. But in what was left of her heart she knew he never would.

So all she did was rant and rave and scream in anger and madness and agony. That was all she could do: lash out in blind, raving hatred at the world for what she thought it had done to her.

However, deep inside Bellatrix Lestrange…far inside, hidden in the very depths of her soul, there was a door. Behind the door was a room, a beautiful room. The sunlight spilled in through the picture window, birds and bees made noise among the flowers and trees outside. Inside the room was a four poster bed, a dresser, a small table beside the bed upon which stood pictures of various people. And also inside the room, there lived Bellatrix Black.

She had retreated to this room the day her father had given her in a marriage contract to Rudolphus Lestrange. That was the day she had told her boyfriend, William Greengrass, that she could no longer see him. The thought of never seeing William again, and the thought of marrying Lestrange, had caused her mind, her will, to flee into this room. Because her mind could not handle those thoughts, and her will could not stop the encroaching darkness that began to pursue her that day, and grew stronger every day after until it completely engulfed her mind.

Often in the early days, Bellatrix would come down and stand outside the door, taunting Bella about how weak and pathetic she was. They would argue. And it would always end with Bella sobbing and Bellatrix cackling. But Bellatrix had never tried to enter the room, much to Bella's relief. And it had been a long time now since Bellatrix had come down to taunt her.

So Bellatrix Black remained inside this little room. Safely tucked away in the one place where no darkness could ever enter. Here where there was always sunlight, always the memory of happiness. She would read, and look out the window, and talk to the pictures beside her bed: pictures of her little sisters, pictures of William, and pictures of her friends from Hogwarts. And never did she venture beyond the door, into the twisting hallways of madness that lay Outside.

Oh, she had some dim _awareness_ of things going on Outside. She could always here Bellatrix Lestrange ranting and raving somewhere far away. Sometimes other voices would mumble or yell. Often Bellatrix would laugh that cackling, maniacal laugh of hers. She knew Bellatrix Lestrange had done some horrible things. And the guilt would overwhelm her for a moment as she realized that she had _let _Bellatrix do those things. Because Bella was weak…a coward. But then she would shake off the guilt. It wasn't her fault, after all. Bellatrix was too strong. How could Bella have any hope of stopping her?

She remembered hearing voices yelling "Guilty! Life in Azkaban!" And Bellatrix screaming about the Dark Lord. Then nothing but Bellatrix. Whisperings and mutterings. And time and again, screams from somewhere beyond Bellatrix would reach her ears. It frightened Bella, the other screaming, so she did her best to take no notice of it. Often she would sing in an attempt to drown out the cursing and yelling.

Just one time since the day she withdrew into her room did Bella venture out into the darkness beyond the door. Normally, she could ignore what Bellatrix was doing. But something once happened that had driven Bella to confront Bellatrix directly. It was years ago, but she still remembered it. It was the only thing that had happened since she retreated to this room that she had interacted with Outside, and it made her happy…the only happy memory she had had since before the darkness descended

She had heard the usual cackle of Bellatrix, and the yelling of the Lestrange brothers. Then she heard other voices. Another man's voice that seemed somehow familiar. It took Bella a few minutes but she finally realized who it was: Frank Longbottom, a classmate from Hogwarts. He was a pureblood like the Blacks were. Even though he had been in Gryffindor, Bella didn't have anything against him. Besides, he was William's friend, and that made him at least tolerable.

Because of what had happened to her, Bella had no idea what Frank went on to after Hogwarts. Nevertheless, one night she had heard yelling, many voices overlapping which made it difficult for her to tell what was going on. But she had recognized Frank's voice amidst the chaos. He was pleading…something about he "didn't know where", and to let his wife go.

Wife? So at least he had gotten married. Bella was glad. Good for him. Everyone should have true love, if they're lucky enough to find it. Not like her. She'd been denied true love and forced to turn her back on it. She had a fleeting thought back to Andromeda. Her little sister had been forced to chose between her family and love. Bella had always thought Andi had made the right choice, even though she'd never tell her parents or Cissy that.

Then Bella heard an angry female voice that she knew wasn't Bellatrix…it sounded familiar. Bella struggled to put a name with it. Alicia? Alison? Alice? Yes, Alice somebody or other. She couldn't remember. She heard Lestrange bellowing something followed by a woman—the Alice woman, Bella thought—screaming, then Frank yelling in rage. Something was happening to Frank Longbottom's love. Love was the only thing that mattered to Bella, and she couldn't take any more. Driven by some urge she didn't understand, she yanked the door to her sanctuary open and darted out into the dark corridors that lay beyond.

Finding her way to the top of a long staircase, she found Bellatrix staring at a writhing Frank and Alice Longbottom, being crucioed by the Lestrange brothers. Bellatrix had a gleeful grin on her face. The Lestranges stopped and gave the Longbottoms a moment to catch their breath. "Now, itty bitty Longbottoms," Bellatrix said in a horrible, mocking tone of voice, "Tell us where the Dark Lord's gone? Tell us, and I promise we won't kill you with _too_ much pain." She cackled and the three men laughed.

"I told you, he's dead!" Frank Longbottom spat at her.

Bellatrix gave a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders. "Have it your way, then." She took out her wand, raised it and yelled, "Cru—"

"NO!" Bella shrieked, leaping onto Bellatrix. They fell over and started tussling on the ground. "Those are Will's friends! You can't hurt them!"

"_YOU_!?" Bellatrix shrieked. "I thought you were dead, you pathetic _weakling_! And what of your precious Will? He _left_ us, didn't he? He walked away and _betrayed _us! It's _his_ fault we became a Lestrange!"

Ignoring the stab of pain that slammed into her heart from what Bellatrix said, Bella managed to get her hands around Bellatrix' neck and pounded her head against the floor a few times as she yelled, "I won't let you hurt them!" through gritted teeth while Bellatrix tried to gouge Bella's eyes out.

To the Lestranges, Longbottoms, and Barty Crouch, it just looked like Bellatrix had frozen. Her face was alternating expressions from confused, to blank, to frustrated, and horrified. Her lips were moving but no sound was coming out. Her eyes were vacant and staring straight ahead of her, her wand arm hanging listless at her side.

"Bellatrix, what is wrong with you?" Rudolphus bellowed. But Bellatrix didn't answer him, her face still alternating between different expressions.

"Fine, he muttered. "I'll do it myself, then! CRUCIO!" His brother and Barty joined in as well, and the Longbottoms screamed.

Still struggling with Bellatrix, Bella gradually became aware of the Longbottoms' screams. She rolled Bellatrix over—who had somehow gotten on top of her—and exchanged places so that she was now sitting atop Bellatrix. She held Bellatrix' left arm down with her foot while grabbing a hold of her wand arm with both hands. She pried the wand from Bellatrix', who was still struggling viciously, and screaming profanities the entire time. Slowly, Bella raised her arm and pointed her wand at Rudolphus. Her eyes were no longer blank, but burning with hate for the man before her.

The screams of the Longbottoms were starting to die down, and that concerned Bella. Still being tortured by the other three Deatheaters, Bella finally had the wand pointed at Rudolphus. She muttered, "Crucio!" Rudolphus screamed and dropped his wand, falling to his knees and then to the ground. Bella managed a quick glance at the Longbottoms. They were both twitching on the floor. Frank had a vacant expression on his face, while his wife's eyes were closed.

Rabastan and Barty gaped at the site of Rudolphus screaming in agony before turning their wands on Bella, who continued sending waves of searing torture into Rudolphus. It was as if all the years of pent up loneliness and frustration were pouring out of her at the man now writhing on the floor in front of her, and she screamed in rage, gleefully inflicting pain on this vile man.

But before the other two men could attack Bella, there were several pops, and at least half a dozen Aurors appeared, wands at the ready. The four Deatheaters were quickly overpowered. Bella was still glaring at Rudolphus as he was hauled to his feet by a couple of the Aurors. "I hope you rot in hell, you monster!" She shrieked.

That was enough of a distraction for Bellatrix to throw Bella off her. Landing in a heap, Bella picked herself up and ran back down the stairs into the darkness, as Bellatrix became aware that she was being dragged away by Aurors and began screaming about the Dark Lord returning and saving them. She really had a one track mind.

When she finally made it back to her sunny little room, Bella slammed the door shut and leaned her back against it. Tired and miserable, she slid down the door. Burying her face in her hands, she began to sob.

**(XXX)**

After that incident, Bella didn't leave her room again. She realized over time that Bellatrix had been sent to Azakaban. And she was fine with that. At least Bellatrix would never harm anyone again. And so the years passed.

But then, after an unknown time spent enjoying the peace of her little room deep inside Bellatrix' soul, Bella began to once more develop an awareness of something happening Outside. She became conscious of a presence, a prescience that was not Bellatrix. At first, she couldn't make out what, or who, it was. But over time she did begin to realize, although at first she wouldn't allow herself to believe it.

It was a voice, calling to her. To _her_, and not to Bellatrix. And it was the sweetest voice she had ever heard. It was William's voice. Her William. No, not _her_ William. She frowned as she tried to remember. What was it Andi had told her in one of her last letters? Something about Will getting married. It had crushed Bella, though she tried to be happy for Will. He deserved happiness, and Bella certainly could not give it to him.

But, no! That was definitely Will's voice on the other side of the door. He was calling her, telling her to come to him. And she heard Bellatrix screaming rage as well, trying to drown out Will's beautiful voice. Several times Bella stood and walked to the door. More than once, she reached for the doorknob. But each time, she sighed and returned to her seat by the window. Unlike Will, _she_ didn't deserve happiness. She had been a coward, hiding in her safe little room whilst Bellatrix committed acts of unspeakable evil. Bella could have stopped her, like she did with the Longbottoms. She _should_ have stopped her. But she didn't, because she was weak and afraid.

After a long time of hearing Will calling to her, she couldn't bear it any more. She stood and ran to the door. And yet, once more she hesitated. Should she? Should she go out there and try to find Will? And was that really Will? Bellatrix had grown quieter, but Bella could still sense her lurking somewhere Outside. Bella's hand shook as she lifted it to the doorknob. She wanted with all her heart to go to the voice. It sounded so serene, so full of love. Love for her, even while Bellatrix had screamed and raved and yelled obscenities at the man.

Without warning, a voice sspoke from behind her. "You'll never know unless you open the door, dear girl."

Bella gasped and spun around. Behind her stood a woman, smiling at her. Her face was kind, beautiful, strong and ageless. She wore a long sleeved, shimmery green dress that reached to her ankles. Her feet were bare. The woman's wavy brown hair fell almost to her waist, and her head was crowned with water lilies woven together into a circle.

"W-who are you?" She asked in a timid voice. She was not used to talking to others. Besides those brief and long ago exchanges with Bellatrix in the early days of her retreat, Bella had not spoken with anyone, other than the birds and insects outside the window and the pictures on her nightstand.

The smile on the strange woman's face grew. "My name is not important at the moment, dear Bella. All that matters is I have come to guide you back to the light. Back to your William."

"But…Andi told me that William had gotten married. How can he be mine?" She was surprised at how sad that made her feel. "And why would he want me, after everything I've done?"

The woman approached her and placed a hand on Bella's shoulder. "As I said, you'll never know unless you open that door and step out of this room. All I can tell you is what I once told him: Love is the strongest of all the magics."

The two women stared at one another for a few moments. "I'm afraid," Bella whispered.

"I know you are, dear heart. But I cannot open the door for you. You must do it yourself." She turned Bella around gently so that she was facing the door. Again William's voice called out to her. Bella reached for the knob and turned it. With one last glance back into the pretty little room that had been her refuge for so long, she opened the door, and stepped into the dark corridor. She felt the strange woman's presence behind her, and it gave her courage.

Once they had left the room, the woman moved in front of Bella. Taking her hand with an encouraging smile, she led Bella through the maze of corridors. A soft light came from the woman, dispelling the darkness and illuminating the corridors around them.

Through the dark, twisting hallway the two women moved, William's voice calling to her all the time. Once again reaching the long staircase, Bella and the woman started up. It felt to Bella as if the climb would never end, but at last they reached the top. A final long but straight passageway was in front of them. And at the end Bella could see a tiny point of light. William's voice grew louder and closer.

Bella turned to the woman. "Is that…?" She couldn't bring herself to ask the question.

The woman smiled. "Yes, my dear—that is the light, the way out of your darkness."

Bella turned back around. It was so close now. So close! After all this time, was escape possible? Will's voice called out again: "Bella, please!" He pleaded. "Wake up! Come back to me, Bella!" His voice sounded so desperate.

Unable to resist any longer, Bella took off running down the corridor, the spot of light growing with every step. At last she saw a door ahead of her, and around the door bright light was streaming. However, as she neared the door, Bella skidded to a halt, the fear surging through her again. Between her and the door stood Bellatrix Lestrange.

The woman had a maniacal grin on her face, and she stood in a defensive posture, right in front of the door. Her face morphed into a mocking pout when she saw the look of fear on Bella's face. "Awww, what's wrong? Is the wittle baby scared of da big baaaad Bellatrix?" She cackled. "You always were a pathetic coward! You ran from father, you ran from Will, you ran from Lestrange, you ran from _**me**_! And now you want out, is that it? HA! Well, little baby Bella, all you have to do…is get past me!"

Bella staggered back a step or two, and Bellatrix laughed. Bella felt a hand on her shoulder. Glancing back, she saw the strange woman smiling at her. "You can do it, dear one. She is the last thing that stands between you and freedom, between you and William. You mustn't let your fear control you any longer."

Bella turned back around. Bellatrix was still grinning madly at her. Bella glared at Bellatrix. "Let me out," she growled.

Bellatrix cackled again. "Never!"

"Come on, Bella! Please wake up!" William's voice sounded once more.

"Wake up, Bella! Wake up, Bella!" Bellatrix mocked in a sing-song voice.

With a scream of rage, Bella charged at Bellatrix, the two falling to the ground and repeating their struggle of many years earlier. Only this time, Bella was driven by a determination that would not be stifled. The two struggled and fought for what seemed like hours, but perhaps it was days. And all the while, William called to her from behind the door, giving her strength.

At last, Bella managed to gain the advantage. She had her hands around Bellatrix' throat, squeezing as hard as she could. She slammed Bellatrix' face against the wall several times, until at last, with one final exhale of breath, Bellatrix Lestrange was dead. Her body slid to the floor, disintegrating into what looked like ash. Bella slumped to the floor as well, breathing hard. The unknown woman knelt beside her and took her in her arms.

"You did it, dear girl. You beat her. You proved that the light is indeed stronger than the dark." She helped Bella to her feet and hugged her. "Now go, open the door. I promise you that William is on the other side, waiting for you."

Bella turned and reached for the door. Stopping once more, she looked over her shoulder at the strange woman who had helped give her the strength to break free of Bellatrix. "Thank you, whoever you are." She said with a smile.

The woman returned her smile. "You are quite welcome, my dear. And don't worry, you'll see me again." She waved towards the door.

Turning back around, Bella took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Pushing the door open, she stepped out…

Bright light assailed her eyes, so bright that even with her eyes squeezed shut the light hurt them. It felt like she was lying on a soft bed while someone held her in their arms. She stirred and stretched against whoever it was.

"Bella?" A voice whispered. "Bella?"

Slowly she opened her eyes, still having to blink against the light. As her eyes adjusted, she realized it wasn't all that bright in the room. There were just two candles lit, one at each side of the bed she was lying on. But that didn't matter to her at all. What did matter was the face looking down at her, eyes full of worry and love. A face she had seen every day during her stay in her little room. A face she never thought she would see again in real life. The face of William Greengrass, the only man she had ever, or would ever, love.

Bella raised a shaky hand and placed it on his cheek. Still squinting, she searched his eyes and saw only love and happiness. "Will? Will, is it really you?" Her voice was soft and hoarse.

A sob escaped Will's chest as he replied, "Yes, my love. Yes, it's me!" He pulled her gently against his chest as he sobbed with happiness. Bella's eyes fell shut once more as she rested her head against William's chest. Tears slid down her face as well, one from each eye, as her lips turned up in a peaceful smile.

For the first time in her entire life, Bellatrix Black Lestrange felt safe.

**A/N: There you have it. Shorter than most of the chapters, but I wanted to keep this about Bellatrix' struggle to regain her sanity. Hope you all enjoyed this peak at Bella's inner turmoil. And it just goes to show you that there is some good inside even the most evil of people. Any questions/comment, leave a review or shoot me a PM. **


	7. Chapter 7: Healing And Restoraion

**Miracles Of Healing And Restoration**

"**The wind blew through the valley, carried away the clouds;**

**The stars seem so much brighter this night.**

**Orion's' belt is shining, the Big Dipper's upside down;**

**Over us it's pouring out its light.**

**You slip your arms around me, draw me to your side;**

**The full moon shines down so clear.**

**Is that music in the distance? **

**For a moment of time, there is nowhere else**

**But here."**

Bella's recovery had taken over eight weeks. The Dark Dwellers had rescued her from Azkaban and brought her to the estate at the end of September, and it was now early December. William was growing concerned as the girls would be home for the Christmas holiday soon, and he dreaded having a crazy woman locked on the third floor while they were home. Astoria would be the first to discover her, with her acute sense of curiosity. She had a great love for exploration, and therefore knew the house and its secrets much better than Daphne did, and perhaps even more than he himself. William feared he may have to move Bellatrix out of the house if she was not recovered by the time the girls arrived; he didn't feel safe using concealment and silencing charms on the room where she was kept…it might work with Daphne, especially now that she had Mr. Longbottom to distract her and would no doubt be spending a considerable amount of time with him. But if Astoria found a locked door, or a "missing" room, she would hound him with relentless persistence until she found out why. Astoria always found out what she set her mind on discovering. It made birthday or Christmas shopping for her very difficult.

William had informed Andromeda about her sister's rescue and arrival at the house the day after Bellatrix was safely there. Andromeda had expressed her happiness, and had left him alone when he promised to keep her informed. That lasted all of a week. Now Andromeda was contacting him on an almost daily basis asking how Bellatrix was, how _he_ was, and how soon she could come over to see the two of them. Will could understand her concern, and also her desire to see her sister after so many years, but he needed to wait until Bella's mind was sound again. Otherwise, he feared a potential setback should the sisters meet if Bellatrix was not yet healed of her madness.

William never once doubted that the healing of Bellatrix' mind would happen. After all, the Lady had said it would, and he had absolute trust in the Lady. She was one of the most powerful enchantresses England had ever seen, and honest to a fault. She was also the mother of the Greengrass line, which she protected with a ferocity that was often downright bloodthirsty. She would do anything to protect her family, and the Lady had said that Bellatrix was important to the Greengrass family.

The Lady was right: Bellatrix' mind was healed. But the path to that healing had not been a pleasant one. William was forced to endure the ranting and raving of Bellatrix the vast majority of the weeks that followed her rescue from Azkaban. While she seemed to recognize him at times, swearing and cursing at him for leaving her to the mercy of her father and Lestrange, most of it was incoherent rage, along with ratings both for and against the Dark Lord…as well as choice comments about various family members. If it hadn't been so horrible seeing what his love had become, the rantings about her family would have been rather humorous. As it was, however, Will could find not humor in any of it.

William was thankful he had been able to find a healer willing to work with him; it had not been easy…

**(Flashback)**

While Andromeda was still staying at Greengrass Manor, and while Will had been contemplating the details regarding a rescue of Bellatrix, he had reached out to a few healers to help him with Bella once she had been freed. For obvious reasons, he had not mentioned her name, nor did he go into detail regarding the circumstances, simply stating that it was for a family member who was having mental issues and he was looking for a healer who would be willing to come and stay at the house to help with a cure.

Most of the healers had very successful practices and could not afford the time necessary for such a situation. But after a few days of searching, he met with a healer that had been recommended by one of the others who had turned him down. Healer Kingsbury was a somewhat short, balding, and slightly out of shape man in his mid-fifties. He was an expert in his field—magical damage to the mind—but due to a misunderstanding with a rather powerful family, his practice had been ruined and he was left almost destitute, forced to pick up any minor jobs that happened to come his way. His friends often referred cases to him as their way of helping. Which was why he was now sitting in the Leaky Cauldron at two in the afternoon talking to William Greengrass.

"An old friend of yours referred me to you, Healer," William said taking a sip of his firewhiskey. "I need your help on a rather delicate situation regarding a family member's state of mind." The lie about who needed help rolled off William's tongue without any hesitation, and he felt like that should bother him. But it didn't. He'd do anything to save Bella.

"What is the state of the patient's condition?" Kingsbury asked.

"Quite mad, I'm afraid." William took another swig of whiskey. "Of course, I'm no healer, so I could be wrong. That's the way her condition seems to me."

"What specific details can you give me?" Kingsbury reached into his robes and removed a quill and a small piece of parchment, looking at William and waiting for him to reply.

Will shot a casual yet glanced surreptitious glance around the pub. "I'd rather not go into it here. Too many ears for my comfort. You know how people would love to blackmail one of the Old Houses if they could."

Kingsbury narrowed his eyes. Something felt off. He couldn't put his finger on it, but a feeling of unease crept into his brain. "I'm not certain I can take the case without more specific information, Lord Greengrass."

"If you will be good enough to come to Greengrass Manor tomorrow morning about Ten we can discuss the details at our leisure. I merely wanted to approach you with my offer this evening."

The two men stared at one another in silence for a few moments before Kingsbury asked, "What is the offer?"

"I would like you to come stay at my house and help to cure this…relative who has fallen to insanity." It wasn't _really _a lie calling Bellatrix a relative…they were second cousins, after all. "I will pay you a flat rate of 30 galleons per day, provide room and board for the time you spend at my house, as well as any materials you may need for potions."

The unease in Kingsbury's mind increased. "That a very generous offer, Lord Greengrass." Too generous.

William shrugged. "As I said, it's an important family matter. And private. Will you come by the house tomorrow?"

He shouldn't, he told himself. But he desperately needed the money. Ignoring the feeling of unease, Kingsbury nodded. "Very well, I will be there at Ten. Good night, sir." Healer Kingsbury stood and exited the pub. As he walked down the street, he went over the discussion in his mind. Would he be walking into a trap tomorrow morning? The Greengrasses were said to be neutral, but many also said they were dark. They craved privacy, and liked to stay out of the public eye as much as possible. William had put up privacy charms around them as they sat at the pub. So what could be so important as to demand total privacy and secrecy? Kingsbury shook his head and sighed. He would find out in the morning.

The next day at Ten sharp, Kingsbury aparated to the Greengrass estate and was passed through the wards. A house elf met him at the door and escorted him to the study. William was seated at his desk writing something on a piece of parchment when Kingsbury was shown in. William stood and extended his hand. "Healer Kingsbury, thank you so much for coming. Please, sit." He indicated a chair in front of the desk as he moved back to his own chair. "Would you like anything to drink?"

"Just water, please," the healer said as he sat down across from William.

"Lizzy, please bring some water for healer Kingsbury. And my morning tea, if you please."

Lizzy bobbed her head and hurried away. Kingsbury thought the elf seemed extra nervous. Glancing at William, he noticed the bags under the man's eyes, and the look of exhaustion and worry that seemed to be etched into his face. He frowned as he recalled the previous afternoon and realized that William had not looked so haggard then. So something significant must have happened since yesterday.

William also seemed to be a bit anxious. "Let's get down to business. Have you come to a decision regarding my offer?"

"Yes, Lord Greengrass. I have decided to accept it, tentatively, provided you can answer a couple questions. What exactly will be required of me?"

William rubbed his eyes. "You will be required to stay here tending to my…relative for as long as is necessary, or until I give you leave to depart." He glanced at the man. "You will also be required to give a magical vow that you will not ever tell anyone what you see here, especially regarding the identity of your patient."

Kingsbury's eyes widened. "A magical vow? What on earth for? Are you holding someone here against their will? I won't be a part of anything l illegal!"

A smile tugged at the corners of Will's mouth. "The legality may indeed be somewhat questionable, I fear. But I assure you that I am not holding anyone prisoner here. I am upping my offer to fifty galleons per day. And should there be any issues regarding the legality of the situation, I will see to it that you will be held innocent of any charges, letting the blame fall solely upon myself."

William reached his hand across the desk to the healer. "Do we have a deal, healer Kingsbury?"

Kingsbury had been right…something was off. All his thoughts of the darkness of the Greengrass family came back to him. Should he run? Was he going to be killed when this was all over so there would be no witnesses?

Out of nowhere, the hair on the back of Kingsbury's neck rose. He felt like he was being watched, and not just by William. He heard the voices of the house elves from the kitchen and knew it wasn't them either. Kingsbury cast a nervous yet discrete look around the study and saw nothing. Yet the feeling of invisible eyes on him increased. He swallowed hard around the lump of unease in his throat. He had a strong urge to get up and bolt from the room.

Yet, he needed the money being offered to him by Lord Greengrass. Needed it badly. With a resigned sigh, and ignoring the unease that still swirled in his brain, he leaned forward and shook William's outstretched hand. "Yes, Lord Greengrass. We have a deal."

After administering the vow, William led the healer upstairs into Bella's room, happy to see that she was still sleeping. Kingsbury's eyes fell on her, and he froze. A look of horror and revulsion covered his face. "That—that's Bellatrix Lestrange!" He exclaimed. "She's supposed to be in Azkaban! She was sentenced to life! How can she be here?"

"This is why I needed you to take the vow. It was for your protection as well as mine and hers." William sighed and rubbed his eyes again. "There are reasons she is here, perfectly valid reasons, reasons I cannot even now go into with you, as they have to do with the family magic of the Greengrasses. But one reason I can tell you is that I love her, with all of my heart." His voice was low, and the look in his eyes as he gazed at the woman lying on the bed told Kingsbury all he needed to know. He himself had once known that kind of love.

He sighed. Setting his bag down on the small table beside the bed, he rolled the sleeves of his robe up. "Fine. Let's get started then."

**(End flashback)**

Kingsbury had stayed for two days after Bellatrix had come out of her insanity. He used a variety of tests and diagnostic spells to determine as well as he could if she was truly cured, or if it was perhaps only temporary. When he felt comfortable with pronouncing her sane, he took his leave. He had gotten to know William Greengrass over the weeks he had been at the house, and he no longer thought William was going to kill him. He had seen that William Greengrass was a man of his word. And he had seen the love William had for Bellatrix Lestrange. And his conclusion was that while the Greengrasses were not a family to be trifled with, they were not dark.

Bellatrix Lestrange herself had seemed very different from the woman the Ministry portrayed her as, causing Kingsbury to wonder what else the Ministry concealed from the public. He had no doubt that she had done horrible things: the woman she was when he first arrived-ranting, raving, screaming, threatening, cursing—was capable of having done what she was accused of. But that was a far cry from the woman who had slowly emerged over the weeks he spent observing her. He only hoped she would stay this way, and that he had not made a horrible mistake.

William saw the healer to the door. "Thank you for everything you did, healer Kingsbury. You've no idea how much it means to us. We are in your debt."

Kingsbury paused a moment, his hand on the doorknob. He turned to William, face scrunched in thought. "To be honest, Lord Greengrass, I had very little to do with what happened. It's quite extraordinary. I've never seen anything like it. Ms. Lestrange's mental and emotional instability was well known to magical society even before she was incarcerated, and any length of time spent in Azkaban would normally make a person's sanity irredeemable, especially one so far gone to begin with."

He paused again. "No, it wasn't anything I did. But I do think I know what it was."

"What?" William asked, frowning in confusion.

Kingsbury looked him in the eye and smiled. "I believe it was love. Your love for Ms. Lestrange…and her love for you. Love is very powerful, and much stronger than hate. Your love reached into her mind and gave her something to focus on, to hold on to like a lifeline. And that pulled her back to sanity." He shook his head. "No, it wasn't me or anything I did," he repeated.

William pondered the healer's words for a moment. "Well, at any rate, sir, you certainly earned your pay." He handed a small bag filled with galleons to Kingsbury who made no move to accept it.

"Truly, Lord Greengrass, I did nothing more than act as a consultant and use some diagnostic spells. I don't feel as though I should accept your money, sir."

"But this was the amount we agreed on," William replied, frowning again. "Call it a consulting fee, if you'd like, but please take it."

Kingsbury scowled. "Is this an attempt to bribe me? Keep me quiet about the fact that an escaped criminal is holed up at Greengrass Manor? I am bound by the Healer's Code to not share any patient's personal information with outside parties. And besides that, I took a vow, if you recall, to not divulge what I saw here. I will not break that vow!"

"Please, healer Kingsbury," William replied. "If nothing else, you were inconvenienced by being stuck here for over two months. Please accept it with my thanks."

Kingsbury sighed, and took the offered galleons. Placing the bag into a pocket in his robes, he nodded to William. "Thank you, Lord Greengrass. I am glad the situation turned out as well as it has. And please accept my best wishes for you and Ms. Lestrange. That relationship was…most unexpected. Goodbye, sir." He gave William a slight bow and left the house.

William returned to Bella's room. She had fallen back asleep, curled up on her side facing away from him. so he sat down in the chair beside her bed and picked up his book. Every once in a while he would look over at her, still unable to believe that she was here, in his house with him, and restored to sanity.

Bellatrix was wearing one of Mary's nightgowns. Lizzy had been attending to all of Bella's personal needs since the night she arrived; giving her sponge baths, changing her clothes as needed. At first Lizzy had only been able to do anything when Bella was asleep because she would thrash and scream and curse at anyone and everything, and was often under full body bind charms to keep her from hurting herself and those around her. But as time passed she grew calmer, until over the last two days after coming out of her madness fully, Bella had been grateful in accepting Lizzy's help. Will took this as a positive sign for the future, given the usual contempt that many pureblood families had for their house elves.

Bellatrix was gaunt and pale, and her hair was dull and flat. He remembered how beautiful and silky it had been before, falling in curls almost to her waist, and how he loved to run his fingers through it. She looked so fragile and helpless lying there, and he missed the vibrant passion she used to possess. He shook his head. One day at a time, Will, he told himself.

Besides, she was still beautiful to him, even now. So beautiful.

Bella stirred in her sleep. A slight whimper escaped her, and she rolled to her other side so that she was now facing him. Her eyes opened slowly. She blinked, and then her eyes found his. A shy smile spread across her face.

"Hi," she whispered.

William knelt beside the bed and brushed a stray lock of her hair back from her eyes. "Good morning, my love. Did you sleep well?"

She nodded. The two stared at one another in silence for several moments. "Is this a dream, Will?" Bellatrix asked, still whispering. She reached her hand out and cupped his cheek. "Am I really here with you? I'm afraid I'm still back in Azkaban and this is all some wonderful dream." Then she frowned. "Although, you never have wonderful dreams in Azkaban…just nightmares."

Will placed his hand on hers. "It's no dream, sweetheart. You're here. I promise. You're never going back to that hellish prison; I swear that to you on my life."

"I hope it never comes to that," she whispered. "We're finally together again…I don't want to lose you unless I die, too."He leaned down and kissed her.

When he sat back up, she propped herself up on the pillows. Will reached out and took her hand, caressing the back of it with his thumb. Bellatrix couldn't keep a smile off her face.

"Sweetheart, do you think you'd be up to having some company? Andromeda very much wishes to visit you."

Bella had been looking at Will, but when he mentioned Andromeda, she grew pale and looked down at their joined hands. "Andi must hate me," she whimpered. "All the appalling things I did, all the dreadful names I called her and her husband."

Will settled onto the bed beside her and took her in his arms. "Oh, darling, she doesn't hate you. She's been messaging me almost every day for the last five weeks. In fact, it was she who first pushed me to free you from Azkaban."

Bellatrix looked up. "She—she did?" She sounded shocked.

William nodded. "I understand if you're not quite ready to see her today, but will you please think it over? She misses you badly."

Bellatrix looked away, out the window. "Andi misses me," she whispered more to herself than him. Will could tell she didn't understand why Andromeda would miss her and want to see her after the way she'd acted.

"Yes, she does." Bellatrix looked back at him. "And she loves you, Bella."

Bella's eyes filled with tears. "Why?!" She whispered. "How? Oh Will, you…you don't know the vile way I treated her."

Will pulled her against him again, and she hid her face against his chest, letting the tears fall. "Andromeda is an amazingly kind women, Bella. After…my wife died, I wandered into a bad place. Maybe I didn't wander quite as far as you did, but it was pretty bad. I couldn't function. Andromeda came and stayed with us for months, taking care of the girls and helping pull me back from that bad place I was in. You're her big sister. Sure, you hurt her. There's no point in trying to deny that, or pretend it didn't happen. But through it all, through all the pain and tears, she never stopped loving you, or believing that the real you was still there."

Bella's heart had lurched when Will mentioned his wife dying. She was torn between fierce jealousy towards Mary Abbot, and a deep thankfulness towards the woman for taking care of William in her stead. She was jealous that Mary had given William children instead of her, yet glad he had his daughters to love and take care of. She knew Will would never treat his daughters the way her father had treated her and her sisters. Cygnus Black only cared about money and power and connections to other powerful or rich families. William Greengrass cared about his family.

"I…I think I need just a little more time, Will," Bellatrix murmured. "Just a little. I want to be with you more, just the two of us before your daughters come home. I'll let you know when I'm ready to see Andi. But, would you—could you tell her I said hi the next time you talk to her?"

William grinned and kissed the top of her head. "It will be my pleasure, Madam."

Bella snuggled against him, closing her eyes and sighing, a peaceful smile gracing her face.

**(XXX)**

Tuesday, a week later, William and Bellatrix were sitting in the dining room enjoying a late breakfast, when the ward alarms went off. Bellatrix jumped up, her eyes wide and darting around. "Wh-what's that?"

"Someone is at the edge of the property, that's all."

"M-maybe it's just Andi?" Bellatrix had told William just that morning that she was ready to visit with Andromeda, much to William's delight.

"No, your sister is keyed to the wards so she can come through any time she wishes. Besides, she would most likely just floo in. And at any rate, I haven't messaged her yet today." A raven flew in through the open window and perched on the back of William's chair. It squawked and chattered at him a few times. He smiled. "It seems we have some guests. Your niece and that old relic of an Auror Alistair Moody." He opened his eyes and stood, handing the raven a coin. The bird took it in its beak, squawked once more, and flew back out the window. William stood. "I let them pass through the wards. Stay here, love. This shouldn't take but a moment."

As he exited the dining room, there was a thudding knock on the door. Lizzy answered it then turned as William came into her sight. Closing the door but not latching it, she scurried up to William.

"Master, there is Miss Tonksy and an ugly old man here asking to speaks with you." Lizzy lowered her voice and whispered to William, "I don't likes the old man. He looks mean!"

William smiled. "You are a very intelligent elf—he_ is_ mean! Thank you, Lizzy I'll speak to them. Please go and see if Mistress Bella would like anymore breakfast." Lizzy bowed and popped into the dining room.

He opened the door, smiling as he saw a nervous looking Nymphadora Tonks and a glaring Alistair Moody on the front porch. "Ahh, good afternoon, Dora, Mr. Moody. To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?" Tonks thought William's politeness sounded sarcastic, and the smile on his face seemed almost predatory.

"William, we…_some_ believe you may have broken Bellatrix Lestrange out of Azkaban."

He chuckled. "I assure you, dear cousin, that I have never been anywhere near Azkaban."

"Come off it, Greengrass!" Moody barked before Tonks could reply. "We know you somehow got that Lestrange bitch out of Azkaban and are hiding her here! Now it would be better for you to just hand her over before I force you to!"

William's face had gone dark at the crude term Moody had used for Bellatrix. The rage started curling in his guts. But when Moody made his threat, William laughed. "Oh please, spare us the tough guy act, _Ex_-Auror Moody! You have no authority anymore, unless you're under some delusion that you do simply because you're a favorite lap dog of that idiotic Headmaster! I'm quite certain it was he who sent the two of you here." He looked Moody up and down, smirking. "Besides that, you look a good bit worse for wear, _old man_."

"Still enough of this old man left to take _you_ down, Greengrass!" Moody growled.

William laughed again, louder this time. "I most sincerely doubt that, you pathetic artifact of a bygone era!"

Moody made a growling noise, and Tonks quickly spoke. "Look, Will, we're not here for a fight."

Moody mumbled something under his breath. But Tonks ignored him. "Will, Bellatrix Lestrange is crazy and evil. I should know, she's my aunt. And she treated my mother and father abysmally. We're only concerned about you. Dumbledore did ask us to come and speak with you about this. He's worried for Daphne and Astoria, since they'll be home from school soon for the Holidays. If you do have Bellatrix here, please consider turning her in. I'm sure we can help you keep from being prosecuted."

Moody mumbled again, and Will smirked. "What was that, Mr. Moody? I couldn't quite make it out."

"I said I'll see you and your entire family in Azkaban before I die!"

Will glared at the old man. "My daughters will only see the inside of that vile place over my dead body."

"That can be arranged," Moody growled. Will glared at him, and both men were reaching for their wands until Tonks turned to Moody and snapped, said, "Enough!" Turning back to Will, she made her case once more. "Will, please, just think about it, won't you?"

The predatory smile returned to Dora's face, causing a shiver to run down her spine. "Please consider very carefully, both of you, the implications of the situation you find yourselves in. If, as you surmise, I did indeed arrange to break Ms. Lestrange out of Azkaban, that means I have under my command creatures powerful enough to kill Dementors. And if they can do that to Dementors…" He paused, and a wicked grin spread across his face. "Just imagine what they could do to a human. And if you are right, and I do have such creatures at my disposal…would it then be wise to get on my bad side?"

Moody's scowl deepened, and Tonks gulped as what William said sunk in.

Will looked at Nymphadora and his face softened. "You, being a blood relation and all, would probably be okay. Besides, I think too highly of your mother to have to tell her that her only child died on my lands. Your mother is a Black, after all…you know how scary they can be." He turned his face to Moody, giving the old Auror a twisted smile. "But _you_, Mr. Moody…you'd be dead before you took your third step. And I cannot help but think that the world might be a better place with less of your sort in it."

"Why you Deatheater-loving scum!" Moody raged, lunging at Will. But Tonks stepped between the two. "That is _enough_! Will you two grow up already? Men! I feel like I'm babysitting!"

Will kept his glare fixed on Moody. "If you will both excuse me, I have pressing matters I must attend to. Good day , Dora. Please give my love to your mother." He shut the door.

Moody glared at the door for a moment before turning and leaving the porch. "That bastard has her, all right," he muttered as they walked down the front lane. "I couldn't see inside the house with my eye. Some kind of blasted magic surrounding the house itself. Not regular magic, either…it's Deep Magic, family magic. Filthy Greengrasses! But she's in there, I know it. Somehow, he got her out of Azkaban and brought her here, because he knows no one can touch him on his lands. The Greengrasses have always been a dark family, even if they stay out of the actual fighting. Cowards, the lot of them! That's why they don't fight. But I know what they're really like. William's father killed one of my best friends during the last war because he trespassed onto their lands chasing some Deatheaters. He was just doing his job, and Cyrus Greengrass killed him!

"And we all know _this_ Greengrass and Lestrange were romantically involved while they were at Hogwarts, so it makes sense that out of all people, besides the Dark Lord himself, it would be William who broke her out. And now _his_ oldest daughter has got her hooks in the young Longbottom heir! If Albus was smart, he'd break that up in a hurry, before we lose Neville to the Dark as well. That girl is just like her father, scheming and conniving, dark through and through, like all the Greengrasses. Dark witches and wizards that should have been hunted down along with the Deatheatrs.

"The Greengrasses…they have some ace up their sleeve that keeps them safe, and makes them arrogant. Dark and powerful, that's what they are. Well, guess we should feel lucky they haven't joined the Dark Lord. But William Greengrass is a very dangerous man. Not someone to be taken lightly at all. Broke that Lestrange creature out of Azkaban, after all. Three dead Dementors. No one else I know who could do that. " Moody shook his head and glanced back at the house. "Lestrange is here, I can feel it. I want a 24 hour watch kept on this house! If I was still Head Auror I'd make a raid on the place."

Tonks sighed as Moody's rant against the Greengrass family continued unabated. Tonks did not share the old Auror's views on the Greengrasses, however. While she _was _concerned about the distinct possibility that Bellatrix was indeed holed up at Greengrass Manor, she didn't think that Will or Daphne—or Astoria, either, for that matter—were on the side of the Dark. William had been one of only a tiny handful of family members who had remained close to her mother after she had defied the family and married Tonks' father. Not to mention that Daphne and Astoria's mother had been an Abbot, and that Will still maintained a close friendship with his former in-laws. No, if anything the Greengrasses were…grey. They were grey, not dark. They followed their own code of ethics and honor. And they were a very honorable family.

But she still didn't know what to make of the current situation regarding Bellatrix. She felt that Moody was right, and that Bellatrix was with William. But nothing more could be done until they reported their findings to the Order at the next meeting. Reaching the wards on the estate, they crossed through and aparated away.

**(To Be Continued…)**

**A/N: This was originally part of a chapter that was well over 10K words, so I thought I'd better break it up a bit…don't want to bore too many people. The good news about that is, the next chapter will be posted within a day, instead of a week or more. Also, let me say that for those who may read this and be sticklers for canon (nothing wrong with that at all!) and may be thinking, "Bellatrix is way out of character here!" Yes, she is. For this reason: Throw a rock into a pond, the ripples start out small but as they move outward they grow. Bellatrix was saved by William Greengrass, not Voldermort. Therefore, the timeline of this story has already diverged from the canon timeline. Things will be the same, yet different…Bellatrix will be at all the major events she was at in canon, yet her allegiance has been altered. So keep reading to find out how events will be changed….And as always, to anyone reading this, a major THANK YOU. is in order. So, THANK YOU!**


	8. Chapter 8: Of Love And Worry

**OF LOVE AND WORRY**

"**Now I can tell you're so afraid;**

**You've been lied to, and taken for granted,**

**And treated like some kind of slave.**

**I'm not after your freedom, I'm after your heart;**

**And I know it's gonna happen, and I knew it right from the start.**

**You belong with me, oh darlin' we belong together, and**

**Every time you leave, it's obvious we're still connected.**

**You live in your world and I live in mine;**

**But the collusion of worlds is just a matter of time.**

**You belong with me…"**

Over the next couple of weeks, Bellatrix continued to gain strength, both in her body and mind. Some of her old confidence began to return. Yet she was still plagued by guilt over what she had done before she had been sent to prison. One morning, when William walked into the sitting room, he found her curled up on a love seat, softly crying.

"What's wrong, love?" He asked, worry evident in his tone of voice. "Are you ill? Should I call Andromeda?" Andromeda had come over later on the day Dora and Moody showed up. Things were tense between the sisters at first, mostly because neither knew what to say to the other. Will had excused himself from the room so they could be alone, and gone to his study across the hall to be nearby just in case. But the reconciliation happened much faster than any of the three had thought it would, and Andromeda was coming over almost daily now. The sisters had a lot of time to catch up on.

Bella shook her head. "Oh, Will…how can you stand to be around me? I've done such horrible things, Will! _Terrible_ things! Entire families killed, tortured, maimed…at the time, it all seemed so clear, like we were purging Magical Society of the enemy. Even your friend Frank Longbottom. Will, I'm so sorry! I…I tried to stop them, but I couldn't."

Will had desperately wanted to know what happened that long ago night when his friends had been tortured into insanity, but was afraid to bring it up in case it would cause a setback to her healing. He walked over and sat down, putting his arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him and tucked her head against his chest, hiding her face as she continued her soft crying.

"It's all right, my love. That wasn't really you. Your mind was sick. You're better now, and you won't go back to that life. It's all right."

Bellatrix looked up at him, a look of shame and disgust on her tear-stained face. "No, Will, it is _not_ all right! You don't understand! I wanted them to tell me where the Dark Lord had gone, and they did, but we didn't believe them! I wanted so badly for them to be lying. I almost _did_ use the Cruciatus on them to make them tell me they were lying, but…I couldn't. I froze. It was like I saw your face, and I just couldn't."

She buried her face against his chest again and sniffed a couple times. "The others did, though…my stupid husband and his idiot brother, and Barty. They all crucioed them. I couldn't stop them…but I did let Rudolphus have a taste of his own medicine." A giggle escaped her. "I crucioed him as he was crucioing them. I wanted him to stop, but it was too late for Longbottom and his wife." Bellatrix looked up at him and smiled, her eyes alight with glee. "I got him good for you, Will! I got him good! And I would have kept on crucioing him if the Aurors hadn't shown up and arrested us."

"So that's why they found the Cruciatus curse on your wand," William murmured, pulling her more tightly against him as he smiled. "You weren't involved in what happened to poor Frank and Alice."

Bella's smile dropped, and she hid her face against him again. "No, I—I was involved. I had the other three kidnap them so we could kill them. The whole _thing_ was my fault!" She looked at him again. "Oh, Will, I'm so sorry!"

He kissed her forehead. "It—it wasn't your fault, Dearest. It was your father's fault, and Lestrange's. But most of all, it was Voldermort's fault!"

Bellatrix flinched at the name of her former master. "Please don't say his name, my love! Please don't!"

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I won't say it again. Until he's dead and gone for good." He kissed her again, on the lips this time. When they broke apart, he looked at her with sadness in his eyes. "However, there is one thing I need to tell you. As you know, the girls will be home for the Christmas holidays in a couple of days and we'll need to tell them you're here."

"That's alright, Will," Bellatrix replied. "I don't want to hide anything from your children. I am nervous about meeting them, though. I hope they don't hate me too terribly much."

"Bella, they won't hate you. But…well, the thing is, Daphne, my oldest, is dating Frank and Alice's son." Will paused to let the words sink in.

Bellatrix face went pale. She stared at Will for a brief moment before burying her face in her hands. "She _will _hate me…and if she doesn't the poor boy surely will! _Everyone_ thinks I tortured them. And I _was_ involved. Oh, Will, I've already taken too much away from that boy; I don't want to ruin whatever they feel for one another, too!"

"That wasn't really you," William hastened to assure her. "It was the way you were raised. You were forced into that marriage against your will. Your parents were responsible for all that misery!"

Bella gave him a rueful smile. "I know you're just trying to make me feel better, Will, but Andi had the same parents, the same upbringing. So did Cissy. Andi didn't let them corrupt her, and she's a happy wife and mother now. She never fell to the dark. And while Cissy may be playing the role of the perfect Pureblood wife, she never became a Deatheater like I did. My sisters didn't fall, it was only me. As much as I would like to blame someone else for my sins, I can't."

Will sighed. He had nothing to say, because Bellatrix was right. Nevertheless, he hugged her. "It will work out, my darling. Somehow, everything will work out."

In her mind, Bella prayed he was right.

**(XXX)**

Will went to meet the girls two days later. Andromeda came to stay with Bellatrix while William was gone, as Bella had developed an intense dislike of being alone. She never said anything about it, but both Will and Andromeda had noticed that Bella became tense and agitated any time she feared she'd be left alone. Andi reckoned it probably had to do with being so alone and tortured by the Dementors for so many years while she was in Azkaban.

Will took the floo to the Davis house to collect Elizabeth and the two went to meet the children together. Richard didn't like Elisabeth going places alone, as things were getting tense in the magical community, and Will was only too glad to help his dearest friends out. He understood Richard's anxiety when it came to family.

Will was fidgeting beside Elizabeth on the platform as they waited for the express from Hogwarts. He'd been fidgeting since the moment they arrived, and it was starting to get on Elizabeth's nerves. Finally she turned to him. "For Merlin's sake, Will! Stop fidgeting and just tell me what's bothering you!"

"You know me too well, Liz," he sighed. But at least he stopped fidgeting.

Liz snorted. "We were in Slytherin together for six years, Will. I should _think_ I know you pretty well."

She cast him a speculative look, and cocked an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue. Will swallowed hard, and glanced around the platform. It was loud and no one was near them. Still, he leaned close to her ear and whispered, "I, uh…I kind of…broke Bella out of Azkaban at the end of September and brought her to the house." He leaned back so he could see her face.

She continued staring at him, her face devoid of emotion. Finally she sighed and glanced away. "Richard had heard about her escape, of course. The Ministry is keeping it very quiet so as not to cause a panic amongst the general population." She paused and glanced back at him. This time a small smirk tugged her lips up, and her eyes danced. "I thought it was you as soon as he told me, but he didn't think so." Her smirk increased. "He now owes me ten galleons. Thank you."

Will blinked a couple times, then frowned. "Is that it? You're happy you won a bet? Aren't you going to berate me for being stupid and putting my family at risk?"

Liz shook her head. "I knew the both of you at school, Will. Bella was always a bit…out there, so to speak. And had very strong pureblood supremacist views. But she and I always got along well enough. You two were so good for each other that your romance with her never bothered me. It certainly explains why we've barely seen you these last few months. I imagine it hasn't been easy for you. How is she doing?"

"She's pretty much cured, but you're right. It did take a while—more than two months. I had a healer out at the house the entire time."

Liz raised her eyebrows. "Can you trust him? Won't he turn you in for some reward or chance at fame or something?"

"I made him take a vow," Will explained. "So far nothing has happened. The Ministry hasn't made any moves against us. But that blasted, meddling Headmaster knows Bella's there…sent that crazy ex-Auror Moody out, along with Andi's daughter. They tried to talk me into turning Bella and myself in. Ha, like that will ever happen!" He frowned at the memory. "And you mark my words, Liz…sooner or later Moody will pay for what he said about the girls, and about Bella."

Liz snorted and glanced down the track. "Those blind followers of Dumbledore's are such naive sheep! Everything's so black and white to them. They need a taste of the real world. They wouldn't have lasted a week in Slytherin." She turned to Will. "If you and Bella don't mind, I'd like to come visit her. When she feels up to it, of course. We were all in the same group that hung around together back at Hogwarts. Slytherin against the world." She sighed. "Sometimes I miss those days, Will. Everything was so much simpler then."

Will smiled. "I'm sure she'd like that. I'll ask her."

A whistle sounded then, signaling the imminent arrival of the train. Soon, it had pulled to a stop in front of the platform and students began pouring out of the doors. As they began to search for their children amid the throng of disembarking students, a voice sspoke from behind them.

"William, Elizabeth. It is nice to see you both again. It's been quite a while since I had the pleasure of speaking with either of you. At the Ministry gala last spring, I believe."

William and Elizabeth turned, William taking the outstretched hand of the regal looking woman who had spoken. "Lady Augusta, it is an honor. And I believe you're correct about when we last met."

"Lady Augusta," Liz said, the two women inclining their heads to each other.

Augusta turned back to Will. "William, it appears we have something to discuss. It has come to my attention that your eldest daughter and my grandson are…seeing much of one another these days."

Liz snorted again, smirking, and William's face grew warm. "Um, yes, I believe that is correct."

"Once we have collected our offspring, I was wondering if you and your daughters would be kind enough to accompany Neville and I back to Longbottom House for a discussion of the situation. Hopefully I'm not being too presumptuous, but I have taken the liberty of drawing up a marriage contract for the two of them."

"For Merlin's sake, Augusta, they're only fifteen!" Liz interjected.

Augusta waved her hand dismissively. "Be that as it may, they are both from noble and most ancient houses, therefore all proprieties must be maintained. Pureblood society demands it. I'll not have my grandson, the heir of the House of Longbottom, sully his name in some…frivolous love affair. And I'm certain William wishes the same for the heiress of House Greengrass as well. This will make the two reflect on whether this is truly something they want, or simply a passing teenage fancy."

William chewed his lower lip. "It does make sense, I suppose," he said after a moment. "At the very least it will take their heads out of the clouds and make them consider their future together."

"DADDY!" A voice yelled. Astoria was waving and weaving her way towards them through the crowd, Tracey close behind her. Astoria threw herself into William's arms when she reached him. "I've missed you so much!" She mumbled into his shirt.

"And I've missed you, too, sweetheart," William replied, dropping a kiss onto her head. He looked around. Tracey was hugging her mother, but Will didn't see Daphne anywhere. "Where's your sister?"

Astoria made a face. "She and her _boyfriend_ are saying goodbye to their friends. They'll be here in a minute."

Which they were. Daphne and Neville arrived holding hands and smiling at each other. Astoria made a gagging noise, earning her a glare from Daphne and a snicker from Tracey.

Neville noticed his grandmother standing beside Daphne's dad and Tracey's mum, and his eyes went wide. "Gran? What are you doing here?" His voice squeaked a little.

Augusta pursed her lips. "I am _here_ to take you home for the holidays, young man." She glanced at Neville and Daphne's joined hands and raised an eyebrow. "And I see that you have neglected to tell your grandmother about this…new situation you find yourself in."

Neville gulped and tried to drop Daphne's hand. But she gripped his harder, and it gave him strength to face his grandmother. "Well, er…yes, Gran. Daphne and I are, well, seeing each other. That is to say, we're dating."

"Yes, Neville. I am aware. You underestimate the power of the grapevine amongst the Old Families. Everyone finds out everything and then tells everyone else. Nothing stays secret for very long."

Neville gulped and Daphne blushed.

"However, I must say that I approve of your choice, young man." She turned to Daphne. "You are, from all accounts I have heard, a very proper and upstanding young lady, Miss Greengrass. The epitome of a Pureblood heiress. And I have a deep amount of respect for your father. My grandson could have done much worse, and probably not much better."

William frowned, trying to make out if Augusta's statement was a compliment, or an insult. Or perhaps a bit of both? He was confused.

"Your father and I have agreed to pop over to Longbottom House for a bit of tea and cakes to discuss this…situation before you head home to begin your holidays."

Daphne glanced at her father. William shrugged.

Liz smirked. "And that is my cue to go. Augusta, it was nice to see you again. Are you planning to come for our New Year's Eve perty this year?"

"I wouldn't miss it, Elizabeth. I shall see you then. Have a happy Christmas." The two women inclined their heads to each other again.

Tracey hugged Daphne goodbye. "I'll be over to see you before the party ." She lowered her voice. "Good luck, Daph."

"Thanks," Daphne muttered in reply.

"Send me an owl when you get home and let me know how it went."Tracey winked at Neville. "By, Nev. Have fun! Happy Christmas!

Neville was pale and shaky, but he managed a smile and weak reply of, "Happy Christmas, Tracey, Mrs. Davis," as the two walked away.

"Shall we go?" Augusta said, turning without waiting for an answer, the others following her. Aparating to the ministry, they arrived at the Longbottom estate by way of the floo network. A crusty old house elf, rather like a Longbottom version of Kreacher but not quite as surly, greeted them, welcomed Augusta and Neville home, and announced that tea was ready in the dining room.

"Children, please go seat yourselves at the table. William and I have something to discuss in the study briefly. The teens obeyed while the adults went to the study and closed the door. Astoria kept trying to get at the cakes, but Daphne grabbed the plate and told her to wait until the adults arrived.

Astoria folded her arms across her chest and glared at her sister. "But I'm hungry!"

"Delayed gratification is a sign of a mature young woman," Daphne replied, lifting her nose a little and giving a haughty sniff.

Astoria stuck her tongue out at her.

William and Augusta exited the study about ten minutes later. Will pulled her chair out for her, earning a nod of approval from the old woman. "Daphne, would you please be so kind as to pour?" Augusta asked.

Daphne knew this was something of a test. Being a pureblood heiress, she had been thoroughly trained in proper etiquette over the years, so she knew what to do and did it splendidly, earning a grin from Neville and an approving nod from Lady Augusta.

Astoria was getting almost frantic to eat, so as soon as Augusta took a sip of her tea and began to put food onto her plate, Astoria had started grabbing various food items from multiple trays.

"Tori!" Daphne exclaimed. "Where are you manners?"

Astoria rolled her eyes. William caught her gaze and winked at her. She grinned back at her father.

The conversation around the table was very prim and proper. Augusta asked each of the teens how their schooling was progressing. They each filled her in on various activities, Astoria speaking with her mouth full, earning herself a glare from Daphne.

William, knowing that the conservation was building towards an announcement about the marriage contract he and Augusta had signed whilst in the study, began to talk about the past, and how long the two families had known each other. He touched on topics such as Hogwarts and all the social events the pureblood families attended together. He was trying to establish how close the familes already were, and how a marriage between Neville and Daphne would further strength those ties.

But Augusta decided to cut his remembrances short. Glancing at Neville and Daphne, she cocked an eyebrow and commented, "Yes. And I sincerely hope the two of you didn't play any games of 'Healer and Patient' to pass the time at those parties we dragged you to when you were young."

William had been in the process of taking a drink of his tea when Augusta made her proclamation…he choked, spitting the tea out all over the table in front of him before falling into a fit of coughing; Daphne's face turned scarlet and she slid down in her seat; Neville's face matched Daphne's as he sputtered out a loud and indignant, "GRAN!", whilst Astoria dissolved into hysterical laughter. Augusta, smirking, sipped her tea demurely.

Once William had recovered from his choke, and Daphne had glared Astoria into silence, Augusta continued. "At any rate, William and I are in agreement that a marriage contract should be drawn up between you two." As both the teens opened their mouths to protest, Augusta raised her hand, silencing them. "We understand that neither of you are of age yet. This contract would make you betrothed to one another, but not to be…ahem…_consummated_ until you both come of age, at which time one or both of you may break it off. However, if you are both still desirous of continuing in the marriage contract when you are of age, it will become binding, and you will be married on or before Neville's twenty first birthday."

The room was silent. Neville was still blushing, and staring down at the table. Daphne was staring at her father, who returned her stare with a sheepish look. He shrugged. Astoria was looking at Daphne and Neville and snickering, which earned her a further glare from Daphne. Augusta took another sip of her tea.

Daphne and Neville looked at each other. He squeezed her hand and she nodded. Turning to his grandmother, he asked, "May Daphne and I discuss this in private, please?"

"Of course, take all the time you need," William told them, answering for Augusta, who nodded in agreement. They stood and Daphne led him by the hand across the hallway into the sitting room. Hearing her father say, "Sit down, Astoria. They need a moment alone," she thought it best to close and lock the door behind them, and put a silencing charm on it as well. They turned to face each other. Neville took her other hand in his. Neither spoke for several moments, each staring into the other's eyes. Neville sighed, and stepped closer.

"Daphne, I know we haven't even been seeing each other for even a year. But we've known each other our entire lives. I—I've never met a girl…a _woman_ like you. You make me laugh, you challenge me to be the best person I can, and you're _always _there for me. Having you at my side, encouraging me, has made me want to be a better person, not just to make you proud of me but for my own sake as well.

"I know we're both still just kids, really. But if we're old enough to fight in this war, then we're also old enough to know what love is. If we make it out of all this, would you want to…to…maybe be my wife? If you don't, I'd understand. Completely! I'm still rather clumsy, after all, and can be downright stupid sometimes, and Merlin knows there are plenty of better, stronger, smarter, better looking wizards out there. You could meet one of them tomorrow and be swept off your feet, and forget all about me, and I would understand. I mean, it's not like I'm mfffghelbe—"

Neville's voice was muffled as Daphne threw herself into his arms and pressed her lips against his. The kiss was passionate, and lasted a considerable amount of time. When she pulled her lips from his, he saw tears running down her cheeks, but her face was beaming with a bright smile. "Don't you dare call the man I plan to marry stupid and clumsy! He's the most amazing man I have ever met." She hugged him and whispered, "Yes, Nev. I agree to be betrothed to you." She leaned back and looked into his eyes. He kept his arms around her waist as she placed her hands on either side of his face. "We'll take it one day at a time, and see where it goes. But I would love to someday be Lady Daphne Longbottom."

She placed another gentle kiss on his lips then took his hand. "Now, let's go tell them."

The look on Neville's face when he and Daphne reentered the dining room was more than enough to let the others know what the answer was. Neville, though grinning, was stunned speechless. So Daphne announced, "We agree to the betrothal contract."

Astoria let out a whoop, and ran to hug Daphne. Then she hugged Neville as well.

Augusta looked very pleased. William, on the other hand, looked like his stomach was upset. The thought of his baby girl getting married was a bit much for his heart to take, though he knew it was inevitable at some point. And yet he was relived as well. His daughter was now engaged to the son of one of his best friends. He felt that Frank would approve.

"That's all settled then, "Augusta said. "We will announce your betrothal at the Davis' New Year's Eve party." She took another sip of her tea. "At least this way, it won't be _quite_ such an embarrassment if the pitter patter of little feet is heard running around the house soon."

As before, William choked on his tea and spit most of it out. Astoria went into a fit of laughter, Daphne blushed bright red, and Neville had a scandalous look on his face. "GRAN!" He exclaimed again.

The Greengrass family stayed at Longbottom House almost two hours before William decided they should leave. Astoria was yawning her head off, and the girls were heading to their grandparent's house that evening to spend a few days with them, returning on Christmas Eve night. The girls had been spending the time right before Christmas with their grandma and grandpa Abbot ever since their mother had died. Mary's parents absolutely adored the girls. Hannah usually visited her grandparents at the same time, and the three girls were very close.

William had decided to wait to introduce the girls to Bellatrix until they returned, so as to avoid any potential slips of the tongue whilst the girls were with their grandparents and cousin. Hannah Abbot was not a gossip—she was too kind hearted. But she did like to talk, and Will could see something coming out accidentally.

Will and Astoria made their goodbyes to Augustua and flooed back to the house. Astoria was excited about their visit to the Abbots and wanted to go pack. Daphne, too, was eager to see her grandparents. But she lingered a bit to share a private goodbye with Neville.

She and Neville were smiling at each other. "I can't believe we're engaged," Daphne murmured. "It doesn't seem real."

"That's because it hasn't really sunk in yet," Neville replied. "Besides, it's still sort of unofficial anyway, until we're of age."

"It's real enough, Nev." Her smile grew, and her eyes sparkled. "Mrs. Daphne Longbottom…has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

Neville gulped, but his smile, too, grew wider. "Yeah…I think it does." He leaned in to kiss her, and Daphne's lips met his halfway. It was a gentle kiss, and when their lips separated, they kept their foreheads together, staring into one another's eyes for a long moment.

Summoning his courage, the courage he had gained in no small part thanks to the girl he was currently holding in his arms, he whispered, "I love you. Daphne."

Daphne closed her eyes and pulled him into a tight hug. "I love you, too, Neville."

"Have a good time at your grandparents house," Neville said after a moment of silence during which neither made a move to separate.

"Thanks."

Still they made no move to separate and stood there in the living room, clinging to each other. Until a rather loud "Ahem!" from Augusta in the hallway caused them to jump apart. Kissing Neville on the cheek once more, Daphne flooed away, while Neville grinned stupidly and placed his hands on his cheek where Daphne had kissed him.

**(XXX)**

The Tonks family always celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve with a large meal and presents at Ted and Andromeda's house. This year was no exception. They were also joined by a few members of the Order of the Phoenix, as they had nowhere else to go. Sirius Black, Andromeda's favorite cousin, was one of these, and he was accompanied by Remus Lupin. Andromeda had been happy to include them, as she hadn't seen Remus since they all left Hogwarts many years before.

Andromeda had noticed the looks Nymphadora had been sending Remus all through the meal, and her motherly instincts kicked in. Remus was a kind, gentle man, and a very loyal friend to Sirius. But he was much older than Nymphadora—nearly thirteen years! And if that wasn't bad enough, Andromeda had discovered that he was a werewolf. She kept that information to herself, not even mentioning it to Ted, because werewolves were so despised by both the Ministry and the general population. Although Remus was an exception to the rule regarding werewolves, he still was one. And this gave Andromeda no small amount of concern for her daughter. She wondered if Dora knew that about Remus and his lycanthropy.

The dinner went well. Everyone ate more than was probably good for them. A few, Sirius being the main one, definitely _drank _more than was good for them. There was lots of laughter, and many stories passed around recalling adventures from their school years. During a lull in the conversations, Andromeda went into the dining room to fetch the desert. Dora excused herself to go help, and followed Andromeda out of the room. She had to tell her mother about Bellatrix. It had been driving her crazy since she found out, and though Dumbledore had told her and Moody not to mention it outside of the Order, she couldn't keep it from Andromeda any longer.

"Oh, Dora, would you mind grabbing the dessert plates, please, dear?" Andromeda asked, glancing over her shoulder and noticing that Nymphadora had followed her.

Dora picked up the plates, paused, then set them back down with a sigh. There was loud, semi-drunken laughter from Sirius emanating from the dining room. Good, she thought. Hopefully everyone out there would be distracted for a bit. Leaning close to her mother, she spoke in a low voice. "Mum, we think William Greengrass may have broken aunt Bellatrix out of Azkaban. Moody's put a 24 hour watch on the Greengrass estate." She noticed her mother stiffen for a split second, and saw something flash through her eyes. And her mother's reaction told Tonks' Auror mind all she needed to know.

"He _did_, didn't he? Bellatrix _is_ there! And you _knew_?" She hissed. "Why didn't you _say_ anything? Mum, you could get in serious trouble over this! If you're involved in any way—"

"Listen to me, Dora," Andromeda hissed back, turning to face her daughter, her eyes narrowed. "I know you're an Auror, and this is all part of your duty or whatnot. But you_ listen_ to me! I'm speaking as your mother now. I carried you for _nine months_, I _raised _you, and that should supersede your loyalty to both the Ministry _and_ the Order!"

Andromeda paused, closing her eyes and sucking in a deep breath to calm herself before continuing. "There is a lot you don't understand. Your aunt and Will dated for three years before my father sold her to the Lestrange family. He _sold _his own_ daughter_, Dora! She and Will were so happy together. Bella was experiencing true, pure happiness for the first time in her life. Until father bound her into a marriage agreement in an attempt to gain more money or power or political clout and alliances. Cygnus Black was a vile, petty man who only cared about his power and prestige!

" I was with her when she told Will they couldn't be together anymore. Will was as crushed as Bella was, and almost killed Lestrange then and there. Thank Merlin some of his friends were able to restrain him. Lestrange took Bella by the arm and led her away, but she looked over her shoulder at Will. Dora, you should have seen the looks on both their faces…it was horrible.

"On that day, the woman who was my big sister died. She was never the same again. _Ever_! It took a little while for her mind to collapse on itself, but that was the day I saw the life go out of her eyes. Her marriage to Lestrange was a loveless marriage, a marriage forced on her. You'll notice that they never had any children. Bella couldn't stand Rudolphus.

"Will's mind collapsed too, for a while. He was finally able to come out of his madness and depression. He had help, friends, a loving family…poor Bella had none of those! And thanks to Frank Longbottom, Will ended up marrying Mary Abbot a couple years after leaving Hogwarts. And yet he never was able to get over Bella. Deep down, he still loved her. And still does."

She paused again. Then turned once more to her daughter. There was a fire in Andromeda's eyes that almost scared Nymphadora when she saw it. "Leave them be, Dora. I _mean_ it! You leave Bella and Will alone! They deserve any chance they can have to be happy and together!"

Her face softened, and she placed her hand on her daughter's hand. "As I said, I know you're sworn to uphold the laws. But please, my daughter: _please_ leave them alone! I'm not asking just for the sake of one of my dearest friends, nor even for my sister's sake, but for yours as well. Will…well, I can't say much as it's not my story to tell. But Will has just gotten the love of his life back, and I fear what he may do to anyone who attempts to take her from him again. I—I don't want you to get hurt…or worse."

Nymphadora gave her mother a small smile. "That I can believe." She shook her head, and lowered her voice even more. "Whatever he sent to break her out of Azkaban killed three Dementors. Mum, I don't think anyone the the Order, let alone the DMLE, , wants to risk going up against something powerful enough to kill Dementors. Outside of Moody, that is. He's just crazy enough to try. Dementors are supposed to be unkillable, and yet…mum, your sister is an escaped convict. She's killed and tortured dozens of people over the years."

"I've been over to see her several times now. She's sane again, Dora. She's no longer a threat." Andromeda tried a different line of persuasion. "You all know where she is, so why can't you just leave her alone? Is she worth the massive amount of lives it would cost in an attack on Greengrass Manor in an attempt to re-apprehend her? And with the war coming, can you afford loosing so many people in what would most likely be a futile attempt anyway?"

Tonks shook her head. "Relax, mum. The Ministry doesn't seem to suspect that she's there, only the Order does. And you're right, outside of Moody, and perhaps Molly Weasley because she hates Bellatrix so much, no one wants to risk a fight with William. Dumbledore seemed to have your opinion about it all: he said all Will did was rescue his love from prison, and that she had not been running lose wreaking havoc. And he also doesn't want to run the risk of a three-front war. Like you hinted, we've enough to do already, what with random Deatheater attacks around the country, and that horrible Unbridge toad of a woman at Hogwarts. We're watching the Greengrass estate just to see if she does try and leave, but so far we've not even seen her."

"And you won't see her", Andromeda sighed. "Neither Will nor Bella are that careless. But Dora, I mean it—you stay clear of there. You should be safe enough because you're my daughter and Will thinks of me as a sister. But if you were to participate in a raid to try and capture Bella, well…" Andromeda's voice trailed off. But Nymphadora understood the unspoken implication. Her mother was echoing Will's own words.

She hugged her mother. "I promise I'll keep clear, mum." She whispered. "I know how much both William and aunt Bella mean to you."

"Thank you, daughter. That puts my mind more at ease. I know how headstrong you can be. You're half Black, after all." They ended their hug. "Now let's get this cake into the dining room before Sirius staggers in here looking for it."

**(XXX)**

Later that evening, when their guests had left, Andromeda sighed and went to the closet, opening it and pulling out a coat. Ted noticed this, and helped his wife into her coat. Nymphadora came out into the hall. "Where are you going at this hour on Christmas Eve, mum?"

Ted shot Andromeda a glance, eyebrows raised.

Andi sighed again. "She knows about Bella, Ted." Andromeda turned to Dora. "Will is going to introduce the girls to Bella tonight after they get back home from the Abbots, and both he and my sister asked me to be there, since the girls and I have bonded over the years. They don't know how the girls will take it—especially Daphne, because of what happened to Neville's parents and all—and they think I can help keep things calm. I think so, too."

Nymphadora's heart skipped a beat, and her eyes grew wide in fear. "Mum! Do you think that's even _safe_? You know how hateful aunt Bella was to you and dad over the years before she was sent to prison!"

Andromeda sighed yet again. "As I told you earlier, I've already been to see her several times, Dora. We've…patched things up between us. And I do think I can help the girls ease into this new situation. Remember, not only is Bella is one of the ones who drove poor Fred and Alice crazy, but she's also their father's high school sweetheart, and the two are still in love. It might be hard on Daphne and Astoria thinking Bella is going to replace their mother in their father's heart. Both Will and Bella are concerned about that."

Dora opened her mouth to protest again, but closed it without speaking and simply nodded her head. She trusted her mother. But it would be a long time before she herself tried to make peace with her aunt Bellatrix because of how she'd treated her parents. A very long time indeed.

Andromeda kissed Ted and hugged Dora. "Wish us luck. I'm not sure how long I'll be gone, but I plan to be home tonight. If not, tomorrow morning for certain. I'll let you know." Moving to the fireplace, she took a handful of floo powder. Tossing it into the flames, she said, "Greengrass Manor." The fire roared up and she stepped through, disappearing in a swirl of flames…

**A/N: Whoa…two updates within 36 hours of one another! That must be a first for me. Next chapter, Daphne and Astoria meet Bellatrix, the mass breakout from Azkaban, and (hopefully) the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. Thanks for reading, and I hope you liked it.**


	9. Chapter 9: All Good Generals

**All Good Generals**

"**And all good generals know that love's the only thing worth fighting for…"**

At Riddle Manor in Little Hangleton, the Dark Lord Voldermort sat on his throne-like chair, elbows resting on the chair arms with his fingers steepled. He was smiling and imagining the day he would rule all of magical society, and muggle society as well. He chuckled. "Very soon your brothers will be released from Azkaban to join us in our glorious quest," he told the assembled Deatheaters who knelt before him. "I have procured the allegiance of the Dementors, and they are ready to join the cause. Everything is coming together as I had hoped." Then he frowned. "Except for one small detail."

His gaze fell on a very nervous Lucius Malfoy. "Have you been able to ascertain the whereabouts of your sister-in-law, my dear Bellatrix, yet, Lucius? I find her disappearance from Azkaban most disturbing. That Bellatrix is missing, and that three 'unkillable' Dementors were apparently killed during her escape does not bode well. Someone able to do such a thing will be either a very valuable ally or a very dangerous enemy."

Lucius swallowed hard before replying. "N-no, my Lord. All I have heard is idle speculation and conjecture. I followed up every lead, no matter how ludicrous it sounded, but as of yet I cannot—"

"**CRUCIO!" **Screamed Voldermort, jabbing his wand at Lucius, who screamed as well and dropped to the floor, thrashing in agony as the Dark Lord unleashed his rage on the man. After several seconds he stopped. Lucius lay on the floor, panting and twitching from the excruciating pain he'd just suffered through.

Voldermort leaned forward on his throne. "Not good enough, Lucius," he hissed. "Bellatrix is an essential part of my plans. She must be found, and whoever took her must either join us or be eliminated. Keep looking for her, and do not fail me again! Now go, find me something about where she might be. Something useful."

"Y-yes, my Lord." Picking himself off the floor, Lucius bowed and hurried from the room.

**(XXX)**

William was sitting in the living room on the sofa, facing the fireplace as he waited for the girls to return from the Abbots. He was fidgeting, and full of nervous energy. Wondering if him sitting right there when the girls returned would be too intimidating for them, he got up and began pacing in front of the big windows that faced out onto the back lawn.

Andi and Bella were in the study across the hall, waiting for his signal to enter the room. At first, Will had felt that Andromeda should be the one to greet the girls when they arrived home, but after discussing it they decided that as the father, it should be him while Andi remained with Bella.

Will stopped his pacing and gazed out the window, with his hands folded behind his back. The stars seemed very bright, and he took that as a good omen. He hadn't seen or heard from the Lady since the night he sent the Dark Dwellers to rescue Bellatrix. But in talking with Bella since she came out of her madness, she'd told him about the woman that appeared to her in her mind, and guided her back to the light. Will had merely nodded when Bellatrix mentioned the beautiful woman in the shimmery green dress with water lilies in her hair, not feeling that the time was right to explain who the woman really was.

"But Merlin, do I wish you were here now, Lady," he muttered. "I just don't know what to tell the girls, and I'm afraid of how they'll take it."

A gentle hand fell on his shoulder from behind, and he heard a voice say, "I _am_ here, my dear boy." Heart leaping in happiness, he spun around, only to find the room empty. His spirits began to fall again, until he heard soft laughter which seemed to come out of the very walls of the room, and the Lady's voice whispered, "I am _always _here. Things will work out in time."

The fire roared up, hissing and popping as the girls emerged from the fireplace, laughing and chattering excitedly. Their arms were loaded with gifts, some opened and some not; and from the way their pockets bulged, he knew there were many more presents that had been shrunk to fit inside their robes. He sighed, shaking his head, a fond smile on his face. The Abbots spoiled his daughters rotten.

The girls caught sight of him. "Daddy!" Astoria cried, dumping her things on the couch and running to give her father a hug. Daphne set her things down a bit more carefully, then gave her father a hug as well.

Will grinned. He always felt happier when his daughters were home. "Welcome back, ladies. It seems you had a nice visit with your grandparents."

"Oh, it was AWESOME, Dad!" Astoria exclaimed. She grabbed Will's hand, dragging him over to the couch. "Look at all this stuff I got! This is from Grandpa , this one is from grandma, all these are from both grandma and grandpa, these two are from Hannah, these here are from Auntie and Uncle. And this is from grandma and grandpa's house elf." The last item was a rather poorly sewn together sweater with a big green "S" on it, and a crude representation of what Will thought was supposed to be a snake. But Astoria seemed to love it, which made William's heart glad. House elves were vital to the wizarding world, but were so often looked down on, even by non-purebloods.

Daphne smirked, and dug in her pile of gifts. "I got one, too," she said, holding up a sweater that was a larger version of Astoria's. "Hannah got a Hufflepuff version." She shook her head. "If you think the snake is bad, you ought to see what the badger looked like."

Will chuckled. "I can imagine."

"I'm gonna wear mine when we head back to school after the holidays," Astoria proclaimed proudly, laying the sweater across the back of the couch and smoothing it flat.

Daphne laughed. "Oh, Malfoy will love that!"

Astoria's smile faltered at her sister's comment, but once again William didn't notice.

"Are you girls hungry, or have you eaten recently?" Will asked. "I can have Lizzy get you some food if you're hungry." He was nervous about introducing the girls to Bellatrix now that the moment had arrived, and was hoping he could stall a bit longer.

No such luck, however. Both girls shook their heads. "Naw, I'm good," Astoria said, as she continued looking through her presents.

"Grandma and grandpa had a huge farewell dinner for Hannah and us this evening before we left," Daphne added. "I don't think I'll be able to eat for days!"

Will sighed. He couldn't stall anymore…it was time. "Girls, could you please sit down on the sofa here? There's something I need to tell you both."

There must have been something in his tone of voice, as both girls' heads snapped over to look at him. Glancing at each other, they sat down as instructed. Will opened the door and called, "Andi?" The girls frowned, and exchanged another look as Andromeda entered the room. She stood next to Will by the door, and smiled at the girls.

"What are you doing here, Aunt Andromeda?" Astoria asked, puzzled frown on her face.

"Um, girls, your aunt Andromeda and I have something to tell you," Will began, then paused, not sure how to go on. Andromeda reached for his hand , giving it an encouraging squeeze, and smiled at him.

Seeing this, Daphne's face turned pale, and her mouth dropped open in distress. "Oh, for Morgana's sake, _please_ tell me you two aren't having an _affair_!"

William's face went blank for a microsecond before a look of shock and horror covered it. "_What_?! NO! Why in the world would you even _think_ that?!"

"Hey!" Andromeda said, turning to Will and smacking his arm. "What's so bad about me?"

Will's look of confusion deepened. "Wh-what? Nothing! I mean, you're a beautiful and intelligent woman. It's just, I've never felt like that about you. You're like a sister to me. And you're _married_!"

Andromeda snorted, a grin forming on her face. "I know, I just wanted to mess with you. You're so cute when you're flustered." She gave him a playful pat on the head.

William frowned at her before turning back to the girls. "No, we are not having an affair. But…well, there is someone we'd like you to meet. He glanced back at Andromeda, who nodded and opened the door all the way. She reached her hand out into the hallway as both girls watched, wondering who it was.

A beautiful woman appeared in the doorway. She glanced at Andromeda with an apprehensive expression. Andromeda smiled and nodded at her, gently pulling her all the way into the room. The woman glanced at the girls, holding their looks for a moment before dropping her eyes. Entering the room, she leaned into William, who put his arm around her. The strange woman resembled Andromeda so much that the girls knew the two women must be somehow related.

Andromeda introduced the stranger. "Girls, this is my sister, Bellatrix Lestrange."

While Astoria continued looking confused, Daphne's mouth dropped open in shock again. "_Bellatrix Lestrange_? Isn't she supposed to be in Azkaban? How is she _here_!?"

"Well, that's kind of a long story, sweetheart," William said.

"You two dated at Hogwarts." Daphne said, glaring at him. "Did you break her out of Azkaban?"

"Not…not _exactly_, but I _was_ responsible for her escape."

"She's _killed _people, father! _Tortured_ people! Remember what she did to Neviile's parents? To one of your _best friends_? Why would you bring her here? Are you so desperate for female companionship that you break a condemned criminal out of Azkaban just so you could _shag_ her?" Daphne's voice had risen to the point she was now yelling at Will.

Bellatrix' face turned pale.

Andromeda's mouth dropped open in shock.

William frowned. "Daphne! That was uncalled for!"

"Well, I just learned that my father broke a condemned criminal, a _murderer_, that he used to _date,_ out of prison and brought her to our house. Why wouldn't I think he was having sex with her too?" Daphne shot her father an angry look. "You _disgust_ me!" she spat, then turned on her heel and stormed from the room.

For her part, Astoria was still somewhat confused. She had seen Daphne's reaction, and understood that this Bellatrix woman was the one who had hurt Neville's parents. Astoria also knew the woman had been her father's girlfriend before her father married her mother. She further knew that this woman had hurt a lot of people besides just the Longbottoms. Yet, the woman didn't look evil, or even mean, in fact. She looked…scared. Scared and sad. And her father looked sad as well. So did Aunt Andromeda for that matter. And she knew Daphne was mad. She had also seen the look her father had in his eyes when the Bellatrix woman leaned against his side, and knew her father still loved her.

Astoria also realized that since Andromeda was Draco's aunt, this Bellatrix woman was his aunt as well. For a moment she got excited over the idea that perhaps Draco would make a visit to her house now that his other aunt was here, then felt ashamed for thinking of herself when the people she loved most were either sad or angry.

Astoria felt torn between loyalty to her sister-and Neville, her future brother-in-law most likely—on the one hand, and love for her father on the other. She wanted everyone to be happy, including Aunt Andromeda. And even the Bellatrix woman. She wasn't sure how she felt about this Bellatrix woman maybe replacing her mum in her father's life somewhere down the road…Astoria only had scant memories of her mother, but she did have a deep love for her nonetheless. And she wondered how her mother would feel about another woman being in her father's life. She decided she'd have to give that idea some thought.

So Astoria did the only thing she could think of at the moment that might make everyone still in the room feel better. Looking at Andromeda, she asked, "If father marries your sister, would that make you our aunt for real?"

Andromeda's eyes grew wide at the unexpected question. Glancing at Bellatrix and William, she replied, "Well, yes, sweetheart. I guess it would."

Astoria sighed. Mustering her courage she walked over to the Bellatrix woman and held out her hand. "I'm glad to meet you, ma'am. My name's Astoria."

Bellatrix looked down at Astoria's outstretched hand and then back to her face. As tears welled up in her eyes, she took Astoria's hand in her own. "Thank you, Astoria. I—I'm glad to meet you as well."

Astoria sighed. "I think I'll go find Daphne." She paused to hug Andromeda before leaving the room.

The three adults stood in silence. Will and Andromeda looked at each other. Bellatrix, still leaning against Will, was staring at the floor, a look of sadness plastered across her face.

"Well, that could have gone better," Will muttered.

"It also could have gone worse," Andromeda pointed out.

"What did you expect?" Bellatrix murmured. "Your daughter—Daphne—_she_ knows how much of monster I am, even if you two can't see it."

"Bella, stop," Andromeda said in a commanding voice. "That is _not_ you. It may be what you've done, or what you're capable of doing…but it is not _you_!"

Bellatrix looked at her sister as Andromeda continued talking. "Remember, the same exact blood that flows through you also flows through me, through Sirius, and even through Will, to a lesser extent. Yes, it can be a struggle sometimes to not give in to the darkness-Merlin knows I deal with it frequently myself. But it _is_ possible. We can't let our blood define who we are. I didn't, Sirius didn't, and you can fight it too."

She reached for Bella, pulling her into a tight embrace. "I love you, big sister. So does Will. And so will the girls, eventually. Astoria doesn't hate you. Daphne is just confused right now, and that's ok. Things will work out in time."

Will's breath hitched at Andi's words. That was exactly what the Lady had told him a little while ago. Despite the misgivings in his mind, despite the tightness in his gut, he smiled. Yes, things would work out, in time. It was just the getting to that point that he was dreading.

**(XXX)**

Christmas was a rather tense day. Daphne almost refused to come out of her room. She had screamed at Will to "GO AWAY, FATHER!" when he knocked at her door asking her to come down for presents. He flinched and went back downstairs. It had taken the combined efforts of Andromeda and Astoria to get Daphne to leave her room and join the others around the Christmas tree.

Even then, she kept glaring at her father, and outright ignored Bellatrix, who sat huddled against him on the sofa. She was overly sweet to Astoria, which everyone realized was part of her attempts at demonstrating her anger towards Will. To Andromeda, she was respectful, yet still a bit peevish, being that she wasn't entirely certain how much Andromeda had been involved in the situation regarding Bellatrix.

Astoria, however, was slowly warming to Bellatrix. She was still a bit leery of the strange, quiet woman who had come into her family's life, and made her sister so upset yet also made her father so happy. But every time she saw how her father looked at this Bellatrix lady, she realized a little more how much he loved her. And she trusted her father. So she determined that she, too, should like Bellatrix…both for her father's sake, and also for Daphne's sake. And even for Draco's.

Yes, Astoria had a major crush on the Malfoy heir. A fact she would never tell either her father or her sister. Daphne hated Draco and his group, and her father hated Draco's father. She wasn't sure why her sister and father hated the Malfoy family so much. Mr. Malfoy was really arrogant, and Draco could be very rude, certainly; but maybe with the proper guidance…no, one thing at a time, Astoria, she told herself. For now, focus on helping Father and Daphne get back on speaking terms with one another.

Dinner was much the same as the opening of the presents had been: Daphne acting overly sweet and loving to Astoria, and respectful to Andromeda. Whenever Will tried to speak to her, she glared at him a few moments before turning away, and still refused to even acknowledge the presence of Bellatrix at the table.

Astoria included everyone in the conversation-even Bellatrix, who only ever gave quiet, half mumbled replies to Will and Andromeda. She gave Astoria a small, thankful smile for trying to include her. But whenever Astoria spoke to Bellatrix, Daphne would jump in and change the subject before Bella could say anything.

Andromeda went home after diner. Taking Will aside before she left, she told him that if needed—meaning, if things weren't any better- she would return in a couple days and have a woman-to-woman talk with Daphne, who had had gone back up to her room after leaving the table with a sniff and haughty raising of her chin.

Will and Bella had gone out for a walk. The day was not too cold for being so late in the year, but Will had insisted that Bella bundle up, and taken great care in making sure she was warm enough before they left. Astoria had seen the gentle care he took in helping Bellatrix into her coat, and it warmed her heart a little.

Evening rolled into night, then turned back into morning. St. Stephen's Day had arrived, or Boxing Day to muggles. About ten in the morning, Tracey and her mother arrived as well. Astoria greeted them when they stepped out of the fireplace, her usually boisterous personality seemed rather subdued.

"Hey Trace, Aunt Elizabeth." Her voice sounded flat.

"Hey, Tori," replied Tracey with a smile.

"Good morning, Astoria," Elizabeth said in greeting, giving the girl a hug. "Happy St. Stephen's Day."

"And to you both as well," said Astoria. "Dad and Ms. Bellatrix are in the study, Aunt Elizabeth. Dad said for you to go on in."

"Thank you, Astoria," Liz replied with a smile. She left the room, eager to greet her old school acquaintance, and Astoria turned to Tracey. "Daphne is upstairs. She's barely left her room for two days now."

Sadness swept across Tracey's face. "So it's no better, huh?"

Astoria gave a sad sigh and shook her head. "Not a bit." Will had floo called the Davis' after Daphne's behavior on Christmas. Elizabeth had been sorry but not surprised. She promised Will she'd talk to Daphne.

"I don't know what to do, Tracey!" Astoria wailed. "Everything is so tense, Daphne and daddy aren't speaking, Daphne hates the Bellatrix woman, but daddy loves her…I can see it in his eyes. And I can see in her eyes that she loves him, too. But she's so sad looking most of the time. And Daphne just stays in her room with the door locked." Astoria's eyes welled with tears. "I miss my family, Tracey…I miss when we all got along." She sniffed.

Tracey gave her a hug. "Don't worry, Tori, things will get better. It's been a shock to everyone. Even to my parents—dad's a little upset at your dad for breaking her out of Azkaban, but mum is happy. She was friends with Bellatrix when they were at Hogwarts. Says she was nice enough until the whole thing with her dad and the Lestranges happened."

Tracey stood up. "I'll go talk to Daphne and see if I can help." She smiled and patted Astoria's shoulder. "It _will_ get better, Tori. I promise." Tracey left the room and took the stairs to the second floor. Stopping outside Daphne's door, she knocked.

"Whoever it is, GO AWAY!" Daphne yelled. "I don't want to talk to ANY of you right now!"

Tracey sighed. "Daph, open the door," she called. "It's Tracey."

There was silence within the room for a few seconds, before the lock clicked and the door opened an inch or so. Sighing again, Tracey pushed the door open and walked in. Daphne was sitting on a chair by the window. Her arms were folded across her chest and she was glaring down onto the back garden. Tracey took the seat across from her, and the two friends sat in silence for a while.

Finally Daphne spoke. "I hate him so much right now, Tracey! I can't believe he broke that vile woman out of prison and brought her here, not after the wicked things she's done! And what she did to Neville's parents!"

Tracey sighed yet again. "Daph, don't you think you're being just a wee bit immature about the whole thing?"

Daphne turned her glare on her friend. "I mean, I get that you're angry," Tracey hurried to say. "I get that. But have you even _tried_ to hear your dad's side of this?"

"She's _killed_ people, Tracey! She's a _killer_! How can there be another side to it? How could my father _love_ someone like that?"

"Oh come on, Daph! Your dad has killed people, too! Heck, so has my mum, for Morgana's sake!

"That was different, and you know it! Those two Gryffindor boys ambushed your mum and she was just defending herself. And as for my father, those were duels for the honor of our family name. It's not the same thing!"

Tracey was silent a moment, chewing her bottom lip and staring at Daphne as though debating something internally. "Yeah, that's true," she finally said. "But…" Tracey lowered her voice and leaned close to Daphne. "Have you ever heard of Josephine Paisley?"

Daphne frowned for a second before her eyes widened in realization, and her mouth opened in utter shock. "The Hufflepuff girl that was murdered at Hogwarts? Her death is almost as infamous as Moaning Myrtles! That was your _mum_?" She exclaimed, her voice loud.

"Shhhh!" Tracey hissed. "Not so loud. Yes, that was my mother. The Paisley girl had been flirting with my dad before my parents started dating, and kept flirting with him even after he and mum were official. Mum warned her once to keep away from dad, but she kept on and kept after him. Finally, mum just couldn't take it anymore. One evening she saw Josephine walking between the Black lake and the Forbidden Forrest, and she just sort of…snapped."

Daphne's eyes were still wide. "Wow, that's…that's difficult to believe. Your mum is so calm whenever I'm around her."

Tracey smirked. "Yes, but you aren't around her all the time. She has a very feisty side to her…and a very dark side as well. She can be downright scary sometimes. She is a Nott by birth, you know."

Daphne smirked. "Yeah, I've seen her put Theodore in his place a few times. It's always a beautiful thing when she does." Then the frown returned to her face. "But, what am I going to do, Tracey? I love Neville so much that it actually hurts a little bit when I can't be with him. How am I supposed to tell the man I'm betrothed to that my father broke the woman who drove his parents insane out of prison and brought her to our house? How could father _do_ something like that, Tracey?"

"He loves her, Daph," Tracey replied. "Love can sometimes make you do things that seem perfectly logical to you, but look crazy to others. Sometimes people even kill for love…like my mum did. Have you talked to him about it?"

Guilt flashed through Daphne, but she ignored it. "No, I have not," she replied, turning her nose up a little. "I refuse to discuss it with him. He is being so immature about all this!"

Tracey rolled her eyes and muttered, "_He _is?" She thought a moment. "What about Andromeda? Have you talked to_ her_ about the situation?"

The guilt returned to poke at Daphne's conscience. "Well, no…she left soon after dinner was over yesterday."

"You should talk to her," Tracey prodded. "She might be able to explain the situation to you better since it's about her sister. Maybe you could even talk to my mum? They all went to Hogwarts at the same time, after all, and knew each other."

Daphne was quiet, thinking over Tracey's words. "Trace, would you ever do something like what my father did? Would you break the law for love?"

Tracey shrugged. "I dunno. Probably, if I loved someone enough. I mean, love and family are the only things worth fighting for, as far as I'm concerned."

"Would you break Blaise out of prison?" Daphne asked, wagging her eyebrows up and down. But her teasing fell flat as she saw the expressions on Tracey's face turned sad.

"What's wrong, Tracey? Is something the matter with Blaise?" Daphne grew more concerned as she saw Tracey's eyes fill with tears.

Tracey didn't answer her for several moments, just sniffing a couple times trying not to cry. But she lost the battle against the tears that began streaming down her face. In distress, Daphne reached out and pulled her friend into am embrace and held her while Tracey continued crying.

When she calmed down enough to speak, she whispered, "He broke up with me on Christmas Eve, Daph. Sent me an owl letting me know we were through."

"An owl?" exclaimed Daphne. "He broke up with you through an _owl_? What a coward! And on Christmas Eve? Did he way _why_ he was breaking up with you?"

"He said he didn't want to date people who were friends with blood traitors." Tracey's voice was low. Anger surged through Daphne. She knew who was behind Blaze breaking up with Tracey.

"Malfoy!" she hissed. "That stupid git! He's the one that did this to Blaise!"

"I think you're right," Tracey replied, her voice still low. "Blaise has been getting more and more involved with Draco and his little gang for a while now, and growing farther from me at the same time."

"Well, if he's going to pick that filthy prat's friendship over your love, then he isn't worthy of you to begin with!" Daphne exclaimed, lifting her chin haughtily. But when she saw the pain and sadness in Tracey's eyes, she reached out and pulled her friend into an embrace. "I'm sorry, Trace," she whispered. "I know it doesn't help the hurt you're feeling right now, but it's still true. Any guy in his right mind would love to have an amazing gal like you in his corner!"

"Thanks, Daph," Tracey replied, smiling through her tears.

The girls remained in Daphne's room talking and laughing as the topics of their conversation moved into happier categories. Around Noon, Tracey's mom knocked on the door and poked her head inside. "It's time for lunch, ladies. Would you care to join us downstairs?"

Daphne's mood immediately shifted back into sullenness, and she frowned at Elizabeth. "No thank you, Aunt Elizabeth. We're fine right here."

Elizabeth opened her mouth to speak, but Daphne cut her off. "And if you're going to give me a speech about how I need to forgive my father and start talking to him again, don't waste your time. I have no desire to speak to, or even see, my father." She turned back to looking out the window with a sniff.

Elizabeth frowned, taken aback at both Daphne's tone and attitude, and once more opened her mouth to say something about it. But Tracey shot her mother a pleading look, and Elizabeth's face softened. Giving her daughter a silent nod, and receiving a grateful smile in return, she shut the door and went back downstairs.

Tracey and Elizabeth stayed until mid-afternoon. Lizzy had brought Daphne and Tracey their lunch. When she departed, Lizzy had shaken her head and looked at Daphne with such a sad expression on her diminutive face that Daphne's heart had melted a little. But just a little.

When Elizabeth had returned to the room to collect Tracey, Daphne hugged her friend goodbye. "It was great seeing you, Trace. Thanks for talking to me." She lowered her voice to a whisper so Elizabeth couldn't hear. "It's been boring and lonely not having anyone to talk to."

Tracey shook her head. "You should at least talk to Astoria, Daph. Your sister is worried sick about you."

Daphne sighed and shook her head as well. "Even Tori is trying to be nice to that…that woman. I just can't deal with that yet, Trace. What would my mom think about all this?"

Tracey shrugged. "I dunno, Daph. But I do know she would want your dad to be happy, and you to be happy, and she'd want you two guys to be talking."

She said it without anger or guile, but Tracey's words felt like a gut punch to Daphne. Because Tracey was right. And yet, Daphne still couldn't quite bring herself to let go of the anger.

"And thank you for helping me with the whole Blaisé situation." Tracey leaned in and hugged Daphne once more. "See you in a few days, Daph."

"Bye Tracey. Hang in there. The right guy will come along at just the right time."

Tracey gave a sad smile, and the door closed softly behind her…

**(XXX)**

Lizzy aparated into Daphne's room with her supper later that evening. Daphne was still sitting in the chair by the window reading a book. It was dark outside now, and she had lit the lamp that stood on the end table. Lizzy set the tray down on Daphne's desk, and turned to her. "Does mistress Daphne need anything else from Lizzy?"

Without looking at the elf, Daphne replied, "No, thank you, Lizzy. That will be all. You may go now."

Lizzy turned to go, but the emotion that had been building up within her could no longer be contained, and she turned back to Daphne. "Oh, young Miss! Your father is so sad! Poor Master hasn't slept well since you refuse to speak to him! He has been so happy since Mistress Bellatrix came here and got better, but now he is sad again! Lizzy just wants everyone to be happy again!"

Daphne bristled at hearing Lizzy refer to _that woman_ as "mistress". "Do you know what kind of a woman '_mistress Bellatrix_' is, Lizzy?" asked Daphne, setting her book on the table and turning to frown at the elf.

Lizzy returned her frown with a perplexed look. "Of course Lizzy knows, Miss. Us house elves always talks to each other about our masters and mistresses. We alls knows what kinds of lady Mistress Bellatrix was. She was mean and nasty and cruel, she was. Even when she first came here, when the scary, cloaked shadow men that Master sent to get her brings her to us, she was that way—crazy and screaming and fighting and cursing! It scared Lizzy! But poor Master, poor Master never ever left her side, always talking softly to her he was, and telling her how much he loves her. And the healer man gave her many potions. And after a long time she woke up and wasn't mean anymore. She is always kind to Lizzy now, she is."

Daphne's heart broke a bit for her father when Lizzy said he'd never left Bellatrix' side. It reminded her of how he'd acted in her mother's short illness. He had sad beside her bed for the few days she clung to life after falling ill, and how he stayed there for hours after she died, not willing to accept the fact that she was gone.

Her father was a good man, an honest man, not prone to doing things in a rush. He always thought things through thoroughly before committing them. Which means this hadn't been some spur of the moment, impulsive act on his part.

Daphne was pulled from her thoughts a moment later. In a bold move for a house elf, Lizzy had approached Daphne and placed a hand on her arm. "Lizzy knows about your betrothed and his parents, young Miss. She knows that Mistress Bellatrix had a part in that, but Lizzy knows Mistress Bellatrix is different now. Lizzy doesn't say you should be friends with Mistress Bellatrix, but Lizzy asks please, _please_ talk to poor Master! Poor Master loves you, and he loves Miss Astoria, and he loves Mistress Bellatrix, too. Poor Master is a good man! He misses you! And Lizzy doesn't want him to get like he was before, all drinking the bad drinks and yelling and crying and stinking because he nots leave his room."

The longer Lizzy spoke, the more Daphne felt guilty. Her eyes filled with tears, and when Lizzy stopped talking, Daphne hugged her, much to the elf's surprise. "Thank you, Lizzy," she murmured to the elf. "Would you please tell me when…when Mistress Bellatrix goes to bed?"

Lizzy bobbed her head excitedly, a bright smile flashing across her face. "Yes, Miss, Lizzy will tell you!" She disappeared with a loud pop.

Just after Ten, she popped back into Daphne's room. "Mistress Bellatrix has gone to her room for beds, young Miss. Your father hasn't gone to his room yet, is in his study still." Daphne was somewhat relieved to hear that Bellatrix and her father were not sharing a room. She at least owed him an apology for insinuating that certain…things were going on between him and Bellatrix.

She owed her sister an apology too. And Andromeda. And Elizabeth. Maybe, perhaps, someday…even Bellatrix. But the jury was still out on that last one. Time would tell, time and observation.

"Thank you, Lizzy. I'll go talk to him now." Lizzy popped out, and Daphne sighed. This was it. She stood, and with determined steps walked down to her father's study. She lingered outside his door for a few moments, building up her nerves and courage, before knocking.

"Come in," called her father's muffled voice from within. With one last deep breath, she opened the door and walked into the room. Will had his back to the door, sitting at his desk and writing something on a piece of parchment.

"Hello, Father," she said, surprised at how soft and subdued her voice sounded.

Will froze a moment before slowly turning to face Daphne. "Hello, Daughter," he replied, his voice hesitant, not knowing why she was suddenly talking to him again. "Is there something I can help you with?"

Heaving a deep sigh, Daphne closed her eyes and said, "I—I wanted to apologize for how I've acted since we got home from grandmother and grandfather's house. Father, I love Neville. And I know you and Neville's father were good friends. And I don't understand how you could…do what you did, break this woman who hurt your friend so badly out of Azkaban and bring her here. But that doesn't excuse the way I've acted. I've been very disrespectful to you, and a horrible example to Astoria. And I apologize for my immature behavior."

Will's heart melted. "Come here," he said as he held his arms open. Unable to contain herself, Daphne ran to him and flung herself into his arms. "Oh, my brave and beautiful daughter," he murmured into her hair. You've been so strong since your mother died, so brave, shouldering a burden that you should never have had to. When I fell to pieces you stayed strong, taking care of your little sister, doing the job _I_ should have done. I should have been there for you, for both of you, and I wasn't. So I guess it's me that owes you an apology, for making you grow up faster than you should have had to.

"Please, never for one second think that I didn't love your mother, Daphne. Please don't ever think that! I loved your mum with every fiber of my being. But also, please understand that what Bella and I had growing up and well into Hogwarts was exactly what you and Neville have, that same sort of connection. And it was taken away from us. We were torn apart, and neither of us ever recovered fully from it.

"That's one reason I agreed with Augusta that you and Neville should be betrothed, even as young as you are. This way, it will be the two of you who decide whether or not to continue when you come of age. Yes, I know what Bella has done. That was a direct result of what her father did when he gave her as a wife to that monster Lestrange. I'm not excusing anything she did, and trust me—Bella is carrying massive amounts of guilt over it herself. I'm just saying that wasn't truly her, it wasn't the Bellatrix that I had fallen in love with. And just so you know…while Bella was indeed involved with what happened to Neville's mum and dad, she never actually used crucio on them…it was Lestrange and his brother. In fact, Bella tried to stop them, but it was too late."

Daphne was stunned by that revelation. Could it really be true?

Will broke their hug and placed his hands on her shoulders. Looking her in the eyes, he said, "Your mother was an amazing woman. I've never met anyone with the capacity for love and understanding that she had. She came along—thanks to Neville's dad, did you know that?—and she picked up the pieces of my broken heart, put them back together, tolerated my rashness and stupidity, and loved me in spite of myself. She grounded me when I was lost and adrift, never caring about my past, or my family, or any of that thing. For some reason that to this day I still cannot figure out, she loved me. She gave me ten amazing years, and the two greatest blessings a man could ever hope to have—you, and your sister."

Tears were streaming down Daphne's face as she listened to her father's words. He had done what he did with Augusta about the marriage contract to keep from happening to her what had happened to him. Losing this Bellatrix woman to an evil man, losing his wife to death, doing his best to raise two small girls on his own. How had she been so blessed as to get a father like this?

"Yes," her mind whispered. "So doesn't he also have the right to find happiness and peace?"

"I—I don't know if I'll ever be friends with this…with Bellatrix," she told him. "And I'm scared of what Neville will say when he finds out. Or should I just not even tell him?"

Will shook his head. "No, sweetheart. First rule of romantic relationship: never keep secrets from one another. Best to get it over with straight away."

"I'm scared, daddy." Her voice was small, and Will realized she was terrified of losing Neville over Bellatrix. "Will you please be with me when I tell him?"

Will smiled. "No, Daughter._ I'm_ going to tell him. I'm the one who did it, for my own perhaps selfish reasons. It's not your burden. I'll tell him at the Davis' New Years Eve party, before we announce your betrothal."

"If he even still _wants _to be betrothed to me when he finds out," Daphne muttered gloomily.

"I'll make sure he knows it's not your fault, Daughter. And that you don't even like Bella." There was a sad tone to Will's voice.

Daphne grabbed his hand. "I'll try, father. I'll give her a chance. But it's going to be difficult."

Will smiled. "I know it will. But that's all I ask, Daughter. That's all I _can_ ask." Will stood up. "Now I think I am going to go to bed. I'm tired."

Daphne smirked. "Yes, about that…I also apologize for what I insinuated was going on between you and…your friend. I was disrespectful, and I stand corrected."

Will chuckled. "I can see how perhaps you may have thought that. But, she's still a married woman, technically. I don't happen to play that game. I'm not that kind of man."

Daphne hugged her father again. "I know you're not, daddy. You are an honorable man. I'm sorry for saying it."

"It's alright, sweetheart. You were just angry and hurt."

They exited the study and headed to the second floor. "How about tomorrow morning after breakfast, you, me, and your sister go to Diagon Alley for some shopping," Will suggested as they stopped outside Daphne's room.

Daphne raised an eyebrow, the corners of her mouth twitched up a little. "You mean it?"

Will nodded. "You deserve it. And so does Astoria. What do you say?"

Daphne smiled. "I say, it sounds like a great idea." She paused. "Just the three of us, yeah?"

Will nodded again. "Just the three of us. Quality time with my two blessings." He lowered his voice. "Besides, Bella's a wanted fugitive. I don't want to risk anyone seeing her. I'll ask Andromeda if she can come stay with her. Bella, she doesn't like to be alone. She has panic attacks. Andromeda thinks it's because of all the years in Azkaban, alone in her cell."

Daphne's heart lurched a little at her father's statement, but she fought it back. She didn't want to feel too bad for Bellatrix just yet. She wanted to observe her and get to know her, maybe, a little bit at a time. She nodded and said, "Good night, Father," before shutting her door.

Later, as she was drifting off to sleep, she heard a noise outside her window. Her eyes opened wide, as some of Lizzy's words chose that moment to pop back into her head: "when the scary, cloaked shadow men that Master sent to get her brings her to us…" Who in the world were the scary, cloaked shadow men Lizzy had spoken of? She lay awake long into the night with the covers pulled up around her nose, wondering, before she finally drifted off to sleep.

**XXXXX**

**A/N: Sorry for the delay…I was moving and it took a bit longer than I had anticipated. Once again, I am ending this chapter far earlier than originally planned, and breaking it into two chapters. So, next chapter will be the New Year's Eve party, and the mass breakout from Azkaban…How will Neville react to Bellatrix being at Daphne's house?**


	10. Chapter 10: Encounters And Revelations

**Brief caveat here: there is a scene containing two deaths, two implied attempted rapes, and an extended seen of torture (crucio). So I am rating this chapter "M", and just giving you a heads up if those things bother you. Otherwise, enjoy…(And the song quote at the opening of the chapter is very accurate)**

**Encounters And Revelations**

"**Beloved brother enemy, I sing my sword song for you:**

**A lullaby of obliteration.**

**So I can wake up with a smile**

**And bliss in my heart…"**

The trip to Diagon Alleys started off well. Astoria, at first angry at Daphne for waking her up so "early on a holiday", had been thrilled to learn of the shopping excursion. Her anger at her sister turned to excitement as she gave Daphne a crushing hug before leaping out of bed to get ready.

Andromeda was again coming to stay with Bellatrix, who was still dealing with the emotional trauma of Azkaban and didn't like being separated from Will for great lengths of time. She of course realized why she couldn't go, and wouldn't have anyway in light of how Daphne felt about her. Although Daphne did say "Good morning" to her at breakfast, shocking Bella and the others. True, that was _all_ Daphne had said to Bellatrix; but still, it was a start, and a significant improvement over outright ignoring Bella. It made both Will and Astoria hopeful.

Around Ten Will and the girls headed out. Flooing to the Leaky Cauldron, Will was pleased to see that Diagon Alley wasn't as crowded as he had feared it would be, considering it was only two days after Christmas. Some of the shops were still closed for the holidays, but most were open. The girls spent an enjoyable couple of hours perusing the shops and making several purchases…between Will and their grandparents, they had a good amount of Christmas money to spend. And Will told them he would splurge on one "expensive" gift for each of them.

Will enjoyed just spending time with his daughters, and seeing the excitement on their faces as they browsed. Instead of one "expensive" gift, they each picked out a few special things that added up to the amount Will had told them they could have: Daphne bought seeds of some exotic plants that Will couldn't even pronounce, and a rare herbology book for Neville, a couple of things for Tracey, and something for her cousin Hannah. Astoria purchased a few little things for Andromeda and Bellatrix, then asked if she could do a little shopping on her own. Will raised his eyebrows at her request, but gave her permission.

"Meet us at the pub by One," he called after her as she hurried off down the street.

Daphne sent a puzzled frown after her sister as she watched Astoria disappear around a corner. "I wonder why she got so mysterious," she mused aloud.

Will shrugged. "Maybe she wants to get you something, and doesn't want you to know."

Promptly at One, Will and Daphne stood across the street from the Leaky Cauldron. "Hey guys!" A voice called. Turning, they saw Astoria waving at them. Accompanying her was Elizabeth, who smiled and offered her own wave.

"Good afternoon, Liz," Will said once the two had joined he and Daphne. "What brings you out today?

"A trip to Gringotts," she replied. "And purchases for the party Saturday. We've had the usual number of acceptance notes and polite declines. The Malfoys, of course, 'politely' declined. The way it was worded, I think Narcissa wrote it. It wasn't bellicose or demeaning enough to have been from Lucius."

Will snorted. "Yes, Narcissa does have a way with words." He glanced across the street then back at Liz. "We're just about to have lunch if you'd like to join us."

Liz smiled. "I'd be delighted." The four headed into the pub. An hour later, after a pleasant lunch, they crossed the street once more. They had agreed to help Liz finish up her shopping for the party. Will said it was the least they could do, considering they would be consuming some of the food themselves.

Just past Three, the group once more found themselves across the street from the Leaky Cauldron. Liz was smiling at something Astoria had said when a hoarse laugh sounded behind them, and a voice barked out, "Well, well, if it isn't two of the infamous Slytherin Seven! This must be my late gift from Father Christmas!"

Both Will and Elizabeth froze for a moment before turning. Approaching them was a group of three people led by none other than Alastor Moody himself. He was accompanied by a rather nervous looking Nymphadora Tonks, and another younger man who was unfamiliar to Will. Moody appeared to be slightly unsteady on his feet as if he'd been drinking. He was smiling, and as he noticed Daphne and Astoria, his smile widened. "You even brought your daughters! I was wondering how I'd get you out of that fortress of an estate of yours, and here you go and _deliver _yourselves to me! And the Nott bitch being with you is just an added bonus! All of you can go to Azkaban together! Too bad your Deatheater girlfriend isn't here as well, but I'll take what I can get."

A feral grin spread across Will's face. "Have you been drinking, Mr. Moody? Dora, you'd best get him home before he makes an even greater fool of himself and ends up in the morgue at St. Mungos." Both Liz and Will already had their hands in their wands. "I warned you what would happen if you ever threatened my daughters again, old man. And I'm pretty sure you just did."

Tonks grabbed Moody by the arm and tried to turn him in the opposite direction. But he yanked his arm free of her grasp. "Ha! As if I could ever be beaten by the likes of a Deatheater lover like you, Greengrass!" His arm darted inside his jacket, going for his wand. Fast for an old man, he wasn't quite fast enough for Will. Two different spells flew from Will's wands, both of which were in his hands before Moody even laid a finger on his own. They slammed into Moody simultaneously, dropping him to the ground and knocking him back several feet, his wand flying out of his hand.

At this, the young man with Tonks and Moody reached for his wand, but Liz darted over and held her own wand to his throat, hissing, "Don't even try it, youngster!" The man's eyes widened in fear, and he gulped, raising his hands. For her part, Tonks didn't go for her wand. She knew she was no match for Will in a fight. And besides, though she'd never admit it aloud, she felt that Moody deserved this. He had deliberately provoked Will by threatening his daughters—one of which was a strong member of Dumbeledore's Army at Hogwarts—and disobeyed Dumbledore's direct order of not provoking the Greengrasses.

Meanwhile, Daphne had her wand out and pointed at Moody as well, a fierce look of anger on her face. She had some idea of what the old man was capable of, and wanted to cover her father's back just in case Moody had some trick up his sleeve. Astoria's hands were over her mouth and there was a look of fright on her face.

Will pounced on Moody as soon as he hit the ground, putting one of his wands to the old man's throat and pinning the man's wand arm to the ground with his knee. "I should kill you right here…dying on a filthy street would add a touch of poetic irony to the famed and feared Auror Alastor Moody. Yes, a very fitting epitaph: 'Famed Auror dies in the street on Diagon Alley'."

"Do it!" Moody rasped. "Do it, Greengrass! And you'll feel the full might of both the Order of the Phoenix and the DMLE rain down on you!"

Will hissed a laugh. "We'd be back at the estate before they could rouse themselves. And then they would lose their precious little war, because we'd kill so many of their people that your ranks would be severely depleted, and they'd be helpless against the Dark Lord when he starts moving against you."

I knew it!" Moody rasped again. "See Tonks,? I told you the Greengrasses were on you-know-who's side!"

Will grinned. "Afraid to say his name, Moody? I'm not!"

"Because you're one of his followers!"

As the two continued trading insults, Tonks glanced around. There weren't lots of people on the street, but a small group of onlookers had begun gathering to witness the spectacle. When she heard one of the onlookers whisper, "Someone should call the Aurors," she decided to step in.

"Alright, Will, you've proved your point. Now let him up." She reluctantly leveled her wand at Will. "You too, please, Lady Davis."She knew Liz had a fierce reputation as well, but Will was by far the bigger threat if it came to a fight.

Seeing this, Daphne gasped and pivoted so that her wand was pointed at Tonks. Dora noticed Daphne's move out of the corner of her eye but chose to ignore it. She could take Daphne out of the equation if she had to, but she knew that would enrage Will and things would turn very bad very fast if that happened. And de-escalation was what she was trying for. Tonks could only hope Will had calmed down enough to think clearly.

Will glanced at her. "Are you acting in your official capacity as an Auror, Dora?"

She nodded. "Moody was out of line, but you are now as well. Just let him go and there will be no charges pressed…on either end." She shot a hard glance at Moody, who frowned back at her. Will's face softened. She reminded him of both her mother and her aunt—tough when she needed to be, yet kind throughout it all.

He looked back at Moody. "I suppose this will be humiliating enough for you, old man…having a woman save your worthless life." Then he leaned closer and whispered, "But if you _ever _threaten my family again_, I. Will. Kill. You._ And _no one_ will be able to stop me." He let go of Moody and stood up, brushing his clothes off. Turning his back on the old man, he walked over to his daughters. He nodded at Daphne. "It's alright, Daughter…put your wand away." Still favoring Tonks with a confused scowl, she lowered her wand and put it back in her robes.

Astoria crushed Will in a vice-like hug, crying softly as Will caressed her head and gently shushed her. Liz let the younger companion of Tonks and Moody go, giving him a slight shove towards Tonks as she did so. She rejoined the Greengrasses as Will gave Tonks a nod and the group moved away across the street and into the pub. Tonks let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding, feeling the tension drain out of her. That had been close. She offered Moody a hand as the older man was struggling to regain his feet. He grudgingly accepted it, and when he was standing he glowered at the pub, though the others were long out of sight.

"Sooner or later, Tonks, I'll kill that man, and throw his entire family and all his friends into Azkaban."

Tonks rounded on him in fury. "WILL YOU SHUT UP?!" She yelled. Lowering her voice to a whisper, she asked, "What the _hell_ was that, Moody? You violated Dumbledore's direct orders by deliberately provoking Will into attacking you! Let it _go_! I swear, if anyone I care about dies because of your blind, unreasoning hatred towards the Greengrasses, I will kill you _myself_! Now let's get out of here!" Without letting him speak, she grabbed his arm and marched him down the street in the opposite direction, the young man jogging to keep up with her long strides.

From the doorway of the shadowy pub, Severus Snape stood sipping firewhiskey and watching Moody hobble off down the street. His eyes were narrowed at the retreating figures. Having witnessed the entire altercation between Moody and Greengrass, Snape had grown angry at the things Moody said about the Greengrass girls. Snape might envy William Greengrass for being able to stay out of the fighting, and for having a family when he himself had never been able to, but he owed Greengrass for a few times that he had stuck his neck out for Snape when they were students. Besides, William's daughters were two of _his_ snakes, and Snape always looked out for his own. He was going to have words with Dumbledore about Moody.

Downing the rest of his drink in one gulp, Severus left the pub. Aparating back to Hogwarts, he went in search of the headmaster.

**(XXX)**

Daphne sat on the Davis' sofa four afternoons later, staring across the hallway at the door which led to Mr. Davis' study with a pensive frown on her face. He and Liz were out with Tracey getting a final round of last minute items for the party that was to start in a couple of hours. Astoria sat beside Daphne on the sofa, rubbing her hand in gentle circles on Daphne's back, trying to soothe the anxiety she felt radiating off her sister. The reason for both the anxiety and the fact that Daphne sat frowning at the study door was because, at that very moment, her father was talking to her betrothed within the study, telling Neville that the woman he had blamed all his life for driving his parents insane was now secretly residing at Daphne's own house. And the fact that they had been holed up within the study for over two hours now only added to her stress and anxiety. What could possibly be taking so long?

Would Neville want to remain betrothed to her after this?

The woman who was the topic of conversation between Daphne's father and fiancé had stayed behind at the house, for obvious reasons. Once again, her sister Andromeda had come to stay with her while Daphne, her father, and her sister were at the Davis' house. Andromeda had been invited to the party as well, but due to the fact she was staying with Bellatrix she had politely declined, sending Nymphadora in her place. The Davis' were part of a tiny handful of people who knew that Bellatrix was at the Greengrass home. Besides them, the Tonks family were the only others who knew for certain that she was there. Several others suspected, but most of the wizarding world thought she was still safely locked up in Azkaban.

"It'll be ok, Daph," Astoria murmured, still gently rubbing her sister's back. "Neville is crazy about you, and daddy will make sure he knows you didn't have anything to do with it."

Daphne opened her mouth to reply just as the door to the study opened as well. Neville came out first followed by her father. Will said something to Neville, who nodded and held out his hand. As Will took it and gave it a shake, he glanced into the sitting room and caught Daphne's eye. A small smile formed on his face, and he spoke to Neville once more. Neville's head turned towards her as well, and she saw a look she couldn't quite figure out…it didn't look sad or angry; it was almost blank, or perhaps contemplative.

Her father walked away in the opposite direction whilst Neville approached her. She stood as he did so, Astoria standing along with her. Both girls had their eyes fixed on Neville. Stopping a foot or so away, he stared at her in silence a moment, the odd look still on his face. Neville had arrived a little early at her father's request so that the two could talk, but she had barely spoken to him since he arrived as her father had whisked him away mere moments after he flooed in. They hadn't even been able to have a proper greeting.

The silence dragged on, and the longer it did the more afraid Daphne became. Her heart sank. Neville hated her now and had decided to end their betrothal. Behind her, Astoria laid her hand on Daphne's shoulder . This was it, it was over between her and Neville. She thanked Morgana for Astoria's calming presence, because Daphne knew she would be bawling if not for Astoria's comforting touch. Her baby sister had always been one of her greatest sources of support.

"I love you, Daphne," Neville said, his voice soft, pulling her out of her thoughts.

She blinked at him. "Um, what?" She replied, and felt stupid the moment she'd said it.

Neville smiled and took her hands in his. "I love you, Daphne. And I can't wait until we announce our pre-betrothal betrothal to everyone this evening."

Disbelief mixed with relief flooded through Daphne. "You mean, you still want to be betrothed with me?"

He snorted. "Of course I do!"

Daphne blinked again. "What…what did you and my father talk about, exactly?"

Neville's smile faltered, and he looked down. "He told me about…about _her_, Daph. About what he did, breaking her out, about her being at your house, everything."

"Did he make you take an oath?"

Neville shook his head. "No, he didn't. He said he had some things to explain to me, that they might be hard for me to hear or to understand, and that he wouldn't make me take a magical oath…he'd leave it up to me what I would do, whether to tell anyone or not." Neville paused and looked away for a moment. Sighing, he turned his eyes to Daphne once more. "Your father is an honorable man, Daphne. And he loves you and your sister a lot.

"He showed me his memories…lots of them, starting back when he was in school. He showed me the real…B-Bellatrix, how she was when they were growing up and while they were at Hogwarts, then how she changed. And…." Neville paused and looked away again, seeming to be overcome with emotion. Daphne reached out and took his hands again. When he turned his eyes back to her, she saw tears standing in them. "He showed me that she hadn't crucioed them. That she'd actually tried to stop it. She feels really guilty about my folks, Daphne. I want to keep hating her, and part of my does. Part of me probably always will, but…seeing her guilt, finding out that she wasn't the one who cursed my parents…I don't know what to think anymore."

Astoria had disappeared once she'd Heard Neville tell Daphne that he loved her, knowing her sister would be alright now. Daphne gave Neville a gentle hug. "There's still a little time before the party starts," she murmured. "Let's go for a walk." The two teenagers went through the kitchen and out into the back garden. Hand in hand they strolled through the paths that wound through the Davis property. It was beautiful in Spring and summer, when the paths were bordered with hundreds of lush flowers and plants. Even now it was beautiful…Elizabeth Davis had a deep love of plants and trees, and an amazing eye for what to plant for different seasons, so that beauty abounded in her gardens year round.

Neville enjoyed the walk, taking in the amazing variety of plants around him with joy. But even more he enjoyed the presence of the beauty who walked beside him. He would glance at her often out of the corner of his eye, marveling in the fact that someone like him—someone that everyone saw as clumsy and not very bright…someone, in fact, that most had assumed was a squib for most of his life—had managed to win the heart of the amazing, talented, intelligent girl now holding his hand and smiling up at him as if he were the only thing in the world.

"I never knew that your dad was a professional dueler, Daph" Neville said. "That's kind of cool, actually."

Daphne turned wide eyes to hi m. "He told you about that?"

A red tinge crept up Neville's face. "Well, er…yeah, he did, but…well, don't get mad or anything, Daph, but…well, Hermione and Ron and Harry were all a little worried when you and I became close, so Hermione did some digging around on your family, and that was one of the things she'd found out." He cringed as his eyes found hers again. "Please don't hate her, Daph."

Daphne smiled and hugged him again. "I don't hate her, Nev. In fact, I'm glad you have friends who care enough to look out for you. True friends are rare these days." Stepping back, Daphne sighed and took his hand again as they resumed their walk. "Father was an amazing duelist. Still is, he just doesn't do it professionally anymore. Mum made him stop after they got engaged because she was afraid he'd get hurt, or worse. Mum might have been an Abbot, but when it came to those she loved, she could get fierce." She glanced at Neville. "Did he tell you why he went into dueling as soon as he graduated from Hogwarts?"

Neville shook his head. "No, but he did tell me that he's…killed a few people in his life. About eight, I think he said."

Daphne nodded. "The reason he took up dueling was because he had so much hate and rage swirling around in him after…after he and Bellatrix were separated that he needed a creative outlet for his anger, or else he would have fallen to the dark. He still struggles with the rage sometimes. His grandmother was a Black, after all, and you know how the Black family is."

A look of pride filled Daphne's eyes. "He lost his first duel, tied in the second, and won all the duels after that."

"Is it true that he can cast two spells simultaneously?"Neville asked, awe filling his voice.

The look of pride in Daphne's eyes increased as she nodded.

"Wow," Neville murmured reverently. "I've heard there's only a tiny handful of wizards in the world who can do that. That's amazing!"

Daphne shrugged. "My grandfather could, too. And father says his grandfather could. Father reckons it must run in the family."

She turned serious, and sighed again. "As for the people he's killed, they had all in one way or another, threatened our family. And father does _not_ take kindly to threats made against our family. He's never just gone out and straight up murdered anyone. My father may be a lot of things, but he's not a murderer. Everyone he's killed has been on the darker side, except for one." Daphne didn't elaborate, and Neville didn't ask her to.

A faraway look came into Neville's eyes. "I don't know if I'll ever truly like her or trust her, Daph," he said. "But, I do trust your father. He showed me memories of what's happened since he broke her out of Azkaban as well. She does seem totally different now, more like she did when she was younger. She doesn't seem crazy anymore; I was surprised at how she seems to like your house elf. And I did see the guilt in her eyes when your father showed me his more recent memories. But it's difficult to do a complete 180 change and accept her after believing all my life that it was her who made my folks the way they are now."

Daphne gave him another nod. "I feel the same, just from a different perspective. When I see the two of them together, and see the deep love shining out of their eyes when they look at one another, my heart lurches a little. It's difficult thinking about another woman taking my mum's place in my father's life. But I want him to be happy again. He's been so very sad since my mother died, and now that Bellatrix is here, he's happy again. I love him too much to hate her. It's just difficult because of my mum."

Daphne was quiet for a moment again. "Tori has warmed up to her more quickly than I can. But Tori doesn't have as many memories of our mum as I do, so it's easier for her to accept Bellatrix. And I know Tori has wanted so badly to have a mother figure in her life again. Andromeda and Tracey's mum have helped, but it's not quite the same."

She blushed. "I was absolutely horrid to both her and father on Christmas after he introduced her to us. So for father's sake, and Tori's, I've decided to tolerate her presence in our family's lives. I understand how you feel about her, Nev, about not knowing if you can ever like her. But maybe we should let her actions guide how we feel…maybe watch and see if she deserves a second chance or not."

There quiet discussion was broken by a voice calling, "Here you two are! I wondered where you two lovebirds had gone off to!"

Turning, they saw a grinning Tracey walking down the path towards them. Reaching the pair, she pulled Daphne into a quick hug. Then she stepped back and winked at Neville. "So, you two ready for the big moment?"

Neville blushed, but shrugged nonchalantly. "As ready as I'll ever be, I guess. I'm just excited for everyone to know that I'm betrothed to the most beautiful girl in the world!" His blushed deepened and he shot a horrified glance at Tracey. "N-no offense, Tracey, it's just, I mean, well, you know."

Tracey laughed. "Oh shut it, Neville! I'd be angry if you _didn't_ think my best friend was the most beautiful girl in the world!" She smirked. "And speaking of the big moment, by the way, it's after four o'clock."

Daphne's eye grew wide, her mouth dropping open. "IT'S AFTER FOUR ALREADY?!" She shrieked. "Tracey, why didn't you find us sooner?"

Tracey shrugged, still smirking. "Mum said to leave you guys alone for a while, so I did."

Glaring at her friend, Daphne grabbed Neville by the arm. "Come on, Nev! We've got to hurry!" She took off back up the path at a run, dragging poor Neville with her. Tracey laughed again, shaking her head, and followed at a slower pace.

**(XXX)**

Daphne and Tracey helped each other get ready. Tracey took extra care on Daphne's hair and makeup, grumbling something about Daphne's natural beauty making it too easy. Daphne wasn't a vain girl, by any means, and didn't think she was _that _beautiful. But she knew many other people thought she was. She just couldn't see it. Besides, the only person she cared about wanting to think she was beautiful was Neville, and he went to great lengths to tell her he thought she was.

Just before Seven, the guests began to arrive. About a hundred people had been invited…the families of the Neutral block of the Wizengamot, of course, as well as several of the more light side leaning families. Even a few of the darker families had been invited, most having turned down the invitations, however.

Neville and Daphne gre4eted Neville's grandmother when she flooed in. "Are you two ready for tonight?" Augusta asked, giving them each an appraisal of their attire and appearance. She was a little more severe with Neville than with Daphne, whom she merely gave a firm nod of approval to whilst fussing over Neville's collar and cuffs and hair and such. "The announcement will be at the start of the party, so pay attention. Now, I must go find your father Daphne. I'll see you both in a bit." She moved off in search of Will, and Neville sighed. "I love Gran to pieces, but sometimes…" He shook his head.

Daphne laughed and squeezed his hand.

"Hey Neville, Daphne!" A voice called. Turning,, they saw Hermione walking towards them, smiling and waving. Harry was following her, looking around at all the guests who were already mingling. Ron followed Harry, also looking around, but with a scowl on his face. He seemed nervous, and Daphne snickered.

As the boys greeted one another and started a discussion about Quditch, at which Hermione rolled her eyes and muttered, "Boys", Daphne pulled her into a hug. Surprised at first, Hermione returned the hug. "What was that for?" Hermione asked when the girls parted.

Daphne smiled at her. "For being such a good friend to Neville. And for accepting me as a friend even though I'm in Slytherin." She leaned closer and lowered her voice. "Neville told me about you doing research on my family when he and I first started having feelings for each other."

Hermione's face turned scarlet. "Oh, Daphne, I—I didn't mean anything by it! It's just that Neville was the first person I ever met when we started at Hogwarts. He's like a brother to me, and I just wanted to make sure…well, you know, Slytherin's reputation and all that. I…I hope you're not mad?" Hermione phrased it like a question.

Daphne took the other girl's hand in her own. "Of course I'm not mad, Hermione," she said with a smile. "I'm glad that Neville has friends like you and Harry and Ron, friends that have his back, looking out for him and wanting the best for him. That warms my heart."

They hugged again, and this time it was Hermione who initiated the hug.

"Hey Hermione," A voice called. The girls stepped apart, turning to see Tracey walking over to them. From the corner of her eye, Hermione noticed Ron's eyes drift over to the Slytherin girl when he heard her name. Gazing at her a moment, he quickly turned back to the conversation with Harry and Neville when he noticed Hermione looking at him.

Tracey then greeted Harry and Ron. Noticing Ron's rather sour demeanor, she laughed, and asked, "What's wrong, Weasley? Afraid of all the snakes around here?"

Ron glowered at her. "I already told you I'm not afraid of snakes, Davis. And not all snakes are bad." He held her gaze a moment before blushing. Looking quickly at Daphne, he said, "I mean, Neville thinks Daphne pretty great, and Neville's a sharp guy, so see? I can admit that not _all _snakes are bad. Just most of them."

"Well, well, I guess they'll let anyone into society parties these days," a sneering voice called. The group turned to see Theodore Nott approaching a sneer on his face to match his tone of voice. With him were Blaze and a girl that Hermione didn't recognize. Blaize was holding the girl's hand, and Hermione glanced at Tracey. Tracey was glaring at Blaize, her eyes falling to his hand and back to his face. He, too, was smirking.

Beside her, she heard Daphne muttering to Tracey. "Matilda Avery? He threw you over for _Matilda Avery_? _Seriously_? And he has the _gall_ to bring her here to your party? I just may curse him myself!" Hermione could almost feel the anger radiating off of Daphne.

"I was thinking the same thing, Nott," Harry replied to the sneering boy as the three Slytherins joined them.

Theo glared ad Harry. "Better watch your mouth, Potter. Things are changing pretty quick." He didn't even acknowledge Ron or Hermione. Instead he leered at Daphne. Bowing, he murmured, "Lady Greengrass," in what he thought was a smooth tone of voice, but which actually sounded more slimy than smooth. He grabbed her hand and planted a kiss on the back of her knuckles.

Shuddering, Daphne yanked her hand out of his grasp. "I am not 'Lady Greengrass', Theo. There is no Lady Greengrass at the moment."

"But you could be Lady Greengrass soon," Theo replied, grinning and wagging his eyebrows up and down. "My father might be able to help you with that."

Neville stepped between Daphne and Theo, glaring at the other boy. "Leave her alone, Nott," he said through gritted teeth. "She's not interested in that sort of thing."

Theo smirked at Neville. "What's wrong, Longbottom? Feeling jealous? And well you should; Daphne could never have feelings for a blood traitor like you."

Hermione, hands curled into fists, said, "Neville isn't a blood traitor, Nott! And Daphne loves him!"

"Who asked you, mudblood?" Theo said, sneering.

"THEODORE!" a voice rang out. "We do _not_ use that word in this house! Now apologize to Hermione!" The teens had been so focused on their argument that none of them had seen Elizabeth approach.

Theo cringed, looking scared, and glanced at Liz. "Yes, Aunt Elizabeth." He turned a sour expression on Hermione. "I'm sorry, Gr—"

Liz cleared her throat loudly, standing behind Theo with her arms crossed, scowling at her nephew.

Theo gulped. "I'm sorry, _Hermione_." He said her name like it disgusted him. Which it probably did. He turned to Blaize and the Avery girl. "Come on guys." The trio walked off towards the refreshment table. Liz watch them go, still scowling, then sighed and turned to the teens. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were staring open mouthed at her.

"I apologize for my nephew's attitude, Hermione," she said, before smiling and giving the girl a hug. "But I am so glad you three could make it tonight. Hopefully, the evening will end on a happier note than it's started on." She and Daphne exchanged a knowing look, and Daphne could barely keep a grin off her face.

"That was brilliant, Mrs. Davis!" Harry exclaimed. "Thank you for sticking up for Hermione like that."

Liz gave Harry a sad smile. "We all have to do our part at easing the hatred that still divides the magical community." She sighed and shook her head. "But I fear some people will never give up their hatred." She smiled. "Now, I want you all to enjoy yourselves. I'll see you all later." She moved off to greet another group of guests.

"Wow, Tracey. Your mom is an amazing woman." Hermione said.

"But, how is she Theodore Nott's aunt?" Ron asked, looking befuddled…as usual.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "She's a Nott by birth, Ronald. I thought I told you that? Theodore's father is her brother. Her own father wanted her to marry the other Lestrange—Rabastan, I think his name is-but her father died before he could get a marriage contract signed. And Theodore's father was too weak to force her into one with Lestrange, so she ended up being one of the lucky purebloods who was able to marry for love."

"Didn't she kill a couple of Gryffindors?" Harry asked.

"Yeah," Ron put in. "One of them was the brother of my mom's best friend at Hogwarts."

Hermione glanced at Tracey, who looked like she was about ready to cry. Hermione smacked Ron's arm and hissed, "Ronald!" She looked at Harry. "It wasn't Mrs. Davis fault. Those two Gryffindors had ambushed her with intent to harm her, and she was just defending herself."

Before the discussion could continue, there was a distraction. "Well now, this is exactly what I like to see." Dumbledore had arrived unnoticed, and walked over to the teens. With him was Dora, who smiled at the group. "Students from two houses that are 'supposed' to hate each other, getting along and enjoying each other's company." His eyes were twinkling as he spoke. Hermione wondered if he had chosen that moment to speak because he sensed that a subject change was needed.

"I hope to speak with you children again before I leave. For now, regrettably, duty calls. I must mingle with the guests." He twinkled at them once again before he and Dora headed over to greet Elizabeth. Liz smiled and hugged the aged headmaster, and they began chatting amiably.

"Well, that was unexpected," murmured an awestruck Ron. "Didn't expect him to be here."

Tracey nodded. "He makes a brief appearance every year. It's good politics. He's head of the Wizengamot, so he likes to mingle with the Neutrals when he can. Kinda try and keep them from jumping ship to the dark side."

"If I may have everyone's attention, please!" Richard called, clapping his hands. "First of all, I want to welcome you all to our New Year's Eve gathering!" Everyone applauded and a few people even cheered. "I hope you all enjoy yourselves, and that this will be an amazing start to our year!" He turned to a pale looking William who was standing next to him. "Before we begin this year's festivities, Lord Greengrass would like to make an announcement."

Will stepped forward looking extremely uncomfortable. The room had grown quiet save for a bit of excited whispering among some of the older ladies. He coughed and cleared his throat. "I don't want to keep you from the festivities, so I'll make this short, I promise." A couple people chuckled, and the whispering grew. "Madam Longbottom and I would like to inform you all that we signed a marriage contract regarding our offspring just before Christmas. My oldest daughter Daphne, and Augusta's grandson Neville are now betrothed, and are planning on being married once they are of age and out of Hogwarts."

He gestured towards Daphne and Neville, both of whom were blushing furiously. They joined Will in front of the guests. Augusta had appeared at Will's side as well, her imperious gaze sweeping over the assembled guests as if daring any of them to speak against the betrothal.

Neville and Daphne and stood between the two, Augusta making room for them. With Neville beside his grandmother, and Daphne next to her father, Neville took a deep breath and said, "I, Neville Frank Longbottom, heir of the House of Longbottom, do agree to be betrothed to Daphne Elizabeth Greengrass, heiress of the House of Greengrass." the two teens gave each other a chaste kiss (less chaste kissed could come later, when there was no audience as they usually reserved that level of kisses for), then they smiled and raised their joined hands to the crowd of guests, who broke out into applause and cheers. Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling even brighter, was one of the most enthusiastic of the clappers.

Behind him, at the punch bowl, Nymphadora Tonks rolled her eyes and took a huge swig of the punch. "Moody is going to absolutely love this!"

Theodore glared at Daphne, who gave him a triumphant smirk when she noticed his glare. "She was supposed to be _mine_," he muttered darkly to Blaize. "_I_ was supposed to marry Daphne!"

Blaize patted his shoulder. "They're not married yet, mate. And if you stay true to the Dark Lord, I reckon he'll give Daphne to you as a reward, once that Longbottom idiot is dead."

For their part, Hermione was the only one out of her, Harry, and Ron who wasn't surprised by this turn of events. The two boys looked gobsmacked. Ron fidgeted. "Is it safe for Neville to marry a snake?" He wondered aloud before Hermione smacked his arm.

"Well, I for one am happy," Harry proclaimed. "Daphne is an asset to the DA, and she has been amazing for Neville. His self confidence is through the roof, and he's getting stronger with his magic by the day."

"And I agree with Harry," Hermione said, folding her arms across her chest and glaring at Ron. "You have got to let go of this unreasoning prejudice you have against, Slytherins, Ronald! Honestly, you're as bad as they are with your prejudices!"

"Aww, don't feel too bad, Weasely," Tracey said, patting his shoulder. "They say there's someone for everyone. So I bet there's even a gal for you out there somewhere."

Ron shot her a glare.

After receiving well wishes from most of the guests in attendance, Neville and Daphne rejoined their friends. A few other students from Hogwarts were in attendance, and all the students spent time as a group, laughing and talking and exchange stories of how their holidays were going, and about what they wanted to do when they returned to school. No one mentioned how bad things were getting with Umbridge, as they just wanted to enjoy their last few days of freedom before returning to her dictatorial control.

Just before Midnight, everyone began a countdown. And when the hour struck there were cheers, shouts of "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" and kissing…lots of kissing. Daphne and Neville gave each other a not-so-chaste kiss then. Hermione, blushing, gave Harry a very chaste kiss, and he smile, squeezing her hand.

Ron muttered something.

Tracey's eyes darted unwillingly across the room to where Blaize was standing. When he noticed Tracey's eyes on him, a wicked grin formed on his face, and he pulled Matilda Avery in for a very passionate snogging session, which the girl eagerly returned. When he stopped, his gaze fell back to Tracey, giving her another wicked grin, along with a wink.

Several emotions shot through Tracey: anger, embarrassment, sadness, confusion. And something clicked inside her, as if a switch had been flipped. Her body acting on its own, she reached out and grabbed the first person her hands came to: Ron Weasely. Grasping his arms, she pulled him in and kissed him on the lips. Kissed him _vigorously_ on the lips. Ron's eyes went wide, and for a brief moment he struggled against Tracey's grip. But he didn't struggle very long. His arms found their way to her back, and he returned the kiss with equal vigor.

Their friend's jaws dropped, and all four were struck speechless.

When her mind finally caught up with her body, Tracey broke the kiss and lurched back from Ron. Her eyes were wild and her hands covered her mouth. She stared at Ron for a few brief moments before a sob broke out of her throat. Turning, she ran from the room.

Daphne glared at Blaize and her lips curled back over her teeth. Hands balled into fists, she took a couple strides towards him before Hermione pulled her back. "Let go of me, Hermione," she growled, struggling in Hermione's grasp and still glaring at Blaize. "I am going to curse him to hell and back for this!"

"No, Daphne. Don't ruin your special night." She too glanced at Blaize, who was laughing now. "He's not worth it. Tracey needs you now…revenge on Blaize can wait."

The anger subsided enough for Daphne to think clearly. She sighed. "You're right. Thank you for stopping me, Hermione. I—I probably would have killed him."

She turned to Neville. "I've got to find Tracey, Nev. I'll be right back." Leaning up, she kissed his cheek and turned to go. But before she could, a quiet voice said, "No, Daphne…I'll go."

Once again, complete astonishment covered four faces as they all turned to Ron. He was blushing, rubbing his neck, and looking at the floor. He glanced around at them. "Look, it was me she kissed, and she's probably just embarrassed. I just want to let her know there's no reason to be. I understand. She didn't mean anything by it."

Daphne gave Ron's hand a squeeze, and Harry patted his shoulder. "That's very mature of you, Ronald. I'm impressed." Hermione regarded Ron with an appraising look, which only served to deepen the blush on his face. He hurried from the room, the other four watching him go.

Not being at all familiar with the Davis house, it took Ron a few minutes to find Tracey. He hear her before he saw her, and followed the sound of her sobs down a hallway, and found her sitting on the bottom step of a back staircase.

He cleared his throat, causing her to jump a little. She looked up at him. Even in the dim light Ron could tell her face was splotchy, and her eyes red from crying. She sniffed, and swiped her hand across her eyes a couple times. It took her a few more seconds to gain her composure before she could speak. "I—I'm sorry, Weasley. I—I—I didn't mean t-to do that. I'm not sure what happened, I just…I just lost it. I know you already hate me, and now you p-probably do even more." She paused and sniffed again. She looked up at him again, and her eyes looked so sad and desperate and lost vulnerable that something inside Ron just melted in that moment.

"Don't worry about it, Tracey. The guys a prick. He's not worthy of you if he's willing to just toss aside an amazing girl like you for someone like Matilda Avery."

Tracey looked up at Ron, blinking in disbelief. "Y—you think I'm amazing?" she whispered.

Ron swallowed hard as his heart kept melting towards the Slytherin girl. He wasn't certain what was happening…but he liked it. He reached his hand out. "Yeah, I kinda do. Now let's get back in there and show him that he can't break your spirit."

Tracey continued to stare at Ron, wondering if there was some catch, if he was trying to trick her. But she didn't see anything but honesty in his eyes. She glanced at his hand, and back to his face, before putting her hand in his.

Ron helped her up, and kept hold of her hand as they made their way back to the party. Daphne and Hermione saw Ron and Tracey's joined hands, and sent each other a knowing smile.

Ron kept hold of her hand for the rest of the night, before he Harry and Hermione took their leave of their friends. And when that time came, he leaned in and kissed the back of her hand before finally letting it go. Giving her a lopsided smile, he followed his friends and flooed back to the Burrow.

And in the far corner of the room, Dumbledore stood watching, his eyes twinkling happily.

**(XXX)**

Dumbledore was looking out the window of his quarters after returning to Hogwarts, gazing at the stars. The night was cold and the sky clear, offering beautiful starry vista for the aged headmaster to enjoy. His thoughts ran back to the announcement at the party, wondering how it might alter the course of the war that was coming. Perhaps this would bring the Greengrass family closer to the Light side. William Greengrass would be a powerful ally if that were to happen.

He sighed, and murmured to himself, "I wonder what this New Year will bring?"

**(XXX)**

Dumbledore didn't have to wait very long to learn just what the New Year would bring. One morning, a little over two weeks into the year, the front page of the Daily Prophet proclaimed:

"**MASS BREAKOUT FROM AZKABAN! MINISTRY FEARS BLACK IS 'RALLYING POINT' FOR OLD DEATH EATERS"**.

The article went on to list the names of the escapees—which, ironically, included Bellatrix-and said that the Ministry believed Sirius Black was behind the breakout, and that he was now their leader. William scoffed and shook his head, knowing full well that Sirius had nothing to do with the breakout. "Fudge is an idiot," he muttered, tossing the paper down on the table as he dug into his breakfast.

Bellatrix was just entering the dining room. "Good morning, Will," she said.

Smiling, he turned and stood, hugging her and placing a kiss on her cheek. Bellatrix sighed and smiled as well. They held each other for a few moments, and Will thought, _this is what I've wanted my entire life. _

The two sat back down. Lizzy immediately popped into the room and set a plate containing eggs, toast, bacon, and cut up fruit in front of Bella. Lizzy had taken to doting on Bella whenever she could, and had learned all of Bella's favorite foods.

Bellatrix gave the elf a gentle smile. "Thank you, Lizzy. It looks wonderful."

Lizzy bobbed and curtsied several times. "Is much pleasure to serve Mistress Bella! Lizzy is happy you are here with us. Master is ever so much happier now, Mistress Bella!" With that, she curtsied once more and popped out of the room.

Will was delighted to see Bellatrix getting along with Lizzy. Even before their separation, Bella had always shown the typical pureblood disdain for house elves. This was definitely a huge improvement.

Lizzy's words touched Bella. Blushing, she turned to Will and asked, "Are you _really_ happier now, Will?"

He smiled at the love of his life. "Oh yes, indeed, my love. If you doubt it, just ask your sister, or Lizzy, or the girls. Or Elizabeth. They'll tell you."

Bella's blush deepened, and she looked down at her food as she began to eat. She noticed the paper sitting between her chair and Will's and picked it up. Will lurched forward and said, "Bella, I'm not sure you should—" he stopped speaking when Bellatrix gasped as her eyes saw the headline.

She gave the article a quick skim, a look of horror on her face, then she read it more thoroughly. Will remained silent as she read. When she was finished, she turned to Will, the look of horror still in place. "What's happening, Will? What does it mean? Did Sirius really break them out? I always thought Sirius was a goody-goody. Why would he do this?"

Will shook his head. "No, my love. Sirius isn't behind this. Your cousin has actually been here a couple of times since he broke out of Azkaban. Vol…You-know-who is behind this. He came back from wherever he's been hiding since the Potter boy escaped him at the beginning of last summer."

Bellatrix paled and grabbed Will's arm. "That means he'll be looking for me!" Then she gasped and paled even more. "And Rudolphus has escaped now, too! Oh Will, they'll find me! They'll take me back to them!" She started to cry.

Will reached out, gently pulling her onto his lap, and she buried her face against his chest as she continued crying. "Shhhh, my love," he murmured as he stroked her hair. "You are perfectly safe here. There is very powerful magic lying on these lands and on this house. Nothing and no one can enter here without my permission. I promise."

Bellatrix wasn't so certain. She had no desire of ever going back to serve the Dark Lord, but she knew him well enough to know that he would not stop looking for her. And neither would Rodolphus. He'd find her and punish her for her betrayal, both of him and of the Dark Lord. And if he didn't the Dark Lord surely would. Was the Greengraqss magic strong enough to keep the Dark Lord out? She hoped so, but she doubted it.

Will picked the paper up and re-read the headline, as well as the list of escapees. And a grim smile formed on his face. _At last_, his mind whispered. _At last, I can have my revenge_, _and vengeance for Bella at the same time. _Time to track down the Lestrange brothers.

William decided to wait a little while after the breakout from Azkaban before he began his search, even though Dora had reported to her mother, who in turn told Will, that in light of the situation, the 24-hour watch on the Greengrass estate had been dropped. Will knew the escaped Deatheaters, especially the Lestrange brothers, would want to run rampant for a while and 'sow their oats' after being locked up for so long. He also knew that letting them run amuck across the country would work to Voldermort's advantage by creating terror and panic with the public. The thought of waiting sickened Will, and he didn't want to give them too much time to terrorize the innocent. But he also needed to proceed with caution.

On the fifth day following the Deatheaters' escape, Will sent the ravens to scour the countryside and find the whereabouts of the Lestranges. It took the birds only two more days to locate them. Will and Bella were having their afternoon tea when a frightful squawking sounded from the tree just outside the dining room window as a couple dozen ravens descended onto its branches like a black cloud. Will opened the window and two of the birds flew into the room, landing on his shoulders.

Bellatrix laughed at the sight. "You look a bit like Odin, Will, with those birds perched on you like that."

Will smiled. "Be careful, I don't want the old man thinking I'm impersonating him. I'd rather not have any visits from angry Norse gods at the moment."

Then he listened as the ravens squawked their news to him, giving him the current location of the Lestrange brothers. His face turned grim, and he nodded to the ravens. Who then flew back out to join their comrades.

Will sighed and stood. "I need leave for a bit, love. Something has come up unexpectedly that needs taking care of. I shouldn't be gone too long."

Bellatrix stood too. "I want to go with you, Will."

He laughed and kissed her forehead. "On a boring old business trip? No, my darling, stay here. I'll call Andi. I'm sure she won't mind coming over for a bit."

Bella frowned and folded her arms across her chest. "Andi can't be expected to keep babysitting me every time you go somewhere, Will. She's probably sick of my by now."

Will smiled. "No, Bella, she loves you. She understands. I'll call her."

He left soon after Andromeda arrived to stay with her sister. Aparating to the farm house the ravens had told him about, he found nothing but a few dead muggles. Rage gripped his mind as he looked at what the Lestranges had done to the innocent residents of the house. He was able to figure out where the Lestranges were headed next from letters that had been thrown around the room. The residents of the farm house had been relatives of a family of muggle-borns, and the Lestranges were headed there next.

He aparated to the address he'd found on the letters. It was a row house somewhere in London. Going around behind the house, he found a door leading to a cellar. The door had been blown off its hinges. He shook his head, the rage returning in full force as he entered the cellar.

As he ascended the steps from the cellar to the ground floor, he heard screaming, accompanied by cruel laughter. Exiting the kitchen, Will found himself in a hallway with what appeared to be a living room straight ahead of him. The living room was L-shaped, and as he entered his attention was drawn to the far side of the room. The Lestranges were attempting to have their way with what appeared to be a mother and her teenage daughter. Two younger brothers, who appeared to be in full body binds looked on with horrified expressions in their eyes, helpless to stop it, while a man that he assumed was the father lay stunned on the floor.

Rage surged through Will. His lips curled back over his teeth in a silent snarl, and his eyes grew red as the magic flared up inside of him. The two muggle born brothers noticed William's arrival, and their eyes grew wider. Will placed his finger to his lips, indicating for them not to react. The Lestranges were still laughing while the women struggled futilely against them. "Stop fighting and I won't hurt you…too much!" Rodolphus growled, glancing at his brother as the two men laughed again.

Sliding a wand into each of his hands and raising them at the Lestrange brothers, Will said, "Hello again, lads."

Rodolphus and Rabastan let go of the women and spun around, wands at the ready. But they weren't fast enough as Will yelled, "Avada Kedavra!" A green mass of energy shot out of the wand in his left hand, hitting Rabastan squarely in the chest. The man toppled over without a sound. At the same time, Will sent a silent bone breaking curse at Rodolphus, which sliced across both his legs. A sickening crunch fill the room, and Rodolphus screamed in agony, falling to the floor as his legs gave way beneath him.

William crossed the room in two steps and knelt beside the screaming man. Both of Lestrange's femur bones had torn through the skin of his knees. Leaning close to Rodolphus, Will whispered, "Well hello, Rody! It's been a long time."

Rodolphus glared up at him. "You! You bastard, you murdered my brother!"

A feral grin spread across Will's face. "No worries, Rody, you'll be joining him soon enough." Will leaned even closer to Lestrange. "I don't have the time to give you a proper send off, Rody…the kind of send off you deserve," Will hissed. "But still…I can't let you leave without at least a parting gift." Will allowed the rage and hatred surging inside him to mix with his magic. All the pent up anger, all the years of misery came pouring out of him as he yelled, "CRUCIO!"

Rodolphus screamed again as Will kept the curse on him for a full ten seconds before finally stopping it. Leaning close to Lestrange again, Will whispered, "That was for Alice Longbottom…remember _her,_ Rody? Or was she just another victim, another nameless face in the parade of people you've murdered?"

"CRUCIO!" He yelled again, holding the curse for fifteen seconds this time as Rodolphus screamed and thrashed around. Leaning close one more, Will whispered, "And _that _was for Frank, Alice's husband and one of my best friends! Their son says hello, by the way."

Lowering his face again so that his lips were next to Rodolphus ear, Will whispered, "And _this_…_this_ is for Bella! CRUCIO!"

Will held the Cruciatus on Lestrange for over half a minute. A maniacal laugh escaped Will's lips as he watched with glee while Rodlophus continued screaming in agony. When it looked like Lestrange might pass out from pain and shock, Will stopped the Cruciatus. Once more he leaned close to Rodolphus. "The killing curse is far too quick and merciful for scum like you, Rody. So I dug around and found something in one of my great-grandfather's old books that I believe will be perfect. Anything you want to say before you die? Beg me for mercy? Ask whatever gods you pray to for forgiveness of your many, manycrimes?"

Rodolphus looked up at Will. Mustering whatever strength he had left, he spit in Will's face. "Go…to…Hell…Greengrass!" He wheezed.

The feral smile returned to William's face. "You first, Lestrange…you first." He leveled his wand at Rodolphus and, not wanting the muggleborns to be able to use the curse, he muttered, "_Adolebitque_ _sanguis_!"

The breaking of his legs had hurt…the Cruciatus had hurt…but neither of those could even come close to the pain that now enveloped Rodolphus, starting in his chest and radiating out from there until every part of his body felt like it was on fire. The last thing he saw as he left the world was the face of William Greengrass grinning at him.

Once Rodolphus was dead, Will stood, still staring down at the man who had been the source of pain and misery to so many people, not the least William himself. And the woman William loved more than life itself. It had taken the better part of 20 years, but Rodolphus Lestrange was finally dead. A wicked smile spread across Will's face. Vengeance was indeed sweet.

A whimper from the corner of the room a few feet away pulled him out of his reverie. The muggle born family huddled there, watching him with terror in their eyes. Once the Lestranges had been incapacitated, the spells they'd used on the family were lifted as well. Even the father was awake, and trying to shield his wife and children from the madman who had killed the other two madmen.

Will stared back at them a moment. He blinked as his mind returned to the present. "Are you all ok?" Will finally asked. They silently nodded.

"Good. When I leave, contact the Ministry and have them send some Aurors out here to collect these bodies." He reached into his robes and pulled out a small bag filled with galleons. He dropped it onto a small table next to the couch. "That is for any damages these two caused, as well as for any injuries you all might have incurred. When the Aurors get here, be honest and tell them exactly what happened." Will paused a moment, contemplating his statement. "Well, tell them about everything except the money. That is for you, and if you mention it to them they'll confiscate it as 'evidence'."

Will headed out of the room, pausing near the hallway. "I am sorry your evening had to end like this. Good night." He gave them a slight bow before striding down the hallway. Exiting through the kitchen door, he aparated away as soon as he cleared the back porch.

**(XXX)**

Back at the house, Bellatrix was just entering the sitting room where Andromeda was reading. Bellatrix gasped, and staggered, her hand grasping the back of the couch to catch herself. She gasped again, and put her other hand over her heart.

Andromeda looked up when Bella gasped. Seeing the look on her sister's face, she dropped her book and hurried over to her. She took Bella's arm and helped her sit on the couch. "Bella! What is it? What's wrong?"

Bellatrix took a few deep breaths, frowning in confusion. "I—I'm not sure, Andi," she gasped. "It just felt like a tug, or my heart lurching. I've no idea what—," Then her eyes went wide as realization struck her.

"Bell? Bella!" Andromeda cried, seeing the look on Bella's face and thinking her sister was maybe having a heart attack.

Bellatrix turned and grabbed Andromeda by the shoulders. "Andi! He's dead! Rodolphus is dead! I felt the bond between us collapse! I'm finally free of him!" Bellatrix was grinning at her sister. Then Bella's face fell. "Will," she whispered. "Will killed him. Oh Andi, what have I _done_?"

"You didn't do anything, Bella," replied Andromeda, grabbing her shoulders. "It was Will's choice, his decision alone."

"I know, but Andi," Bellatrix cried, "He did it for me! So it is my fault to a degree. He killed Rodolphus to set me free, and because of everything that's happened to me since I married that vile man!" She buried her face in her hands. "Oh, I've corrupted Will! I've corrupted the only good thing that's happened to me in my life!"

Andromeda pulled her sister into a hug. "No, Bella," she whispered. "You didn't corrupt him. You've saved him. He did this because he loves you, and wants you to be free."

Bellatrix looked into Andromeda's eyes. "I _am_ free, aren't I? Free of what father did to me."

Andromeda smiled and nodded. "Yes, big sister…you're finally free. Free to follow your own heart."

**(XXX)**

William had just gotten back home and gone into his study. He was hanging up his cloak when there was a knock at the door.

"It's open," he called. He had his back to the door, but heard it open. He heard a rustle of clothing as someone came in.

"How was your _business_ trip, Will?" There was something in the way that Bellatrix said "business", some subtle inflection of the word, that made Will pause in the act of taking a drink of coffee. Not looking at her he replied, "Very successful."

He sensed Bellatrix come up behind him, so he wasn't surprised when her voice spoke near his ear. "You killed Rodolphus…didn't you Will?"

He gave his head a slight shake and smirked to himself. No point in denying it. "Yes…yes I did." His voice was as cold as an Antarctic winter. "I killed his idiot of a brother as well." He went silent and continued sipping his coffee.

"Why?"

The word, one word, was murmured quietly.

Will shrugged. "Why not? They deserved it. How many people have they killed? They were rotten through and through, irredeemable." He still had his back to her. "Good riddance. I did the world a favor."

"_Why_, Will?"

He was afraid to say it, for some reason. So he deflected again. "For what the Lestranges did to one of my best friends and his wife. Frank and Alice deserved justice."

"Is that the only reason?" She pressed. Her voice was even closer now, right next to his ear…quieter as well. She sounded vulnerable, and sad. He didn't like it when Bellatrix sounded vulnerable or sad. Her heart was far too precious to him.

Will heaved a defeated sigh and turned to face her. "No…that wasn't the only reason. I did it for _you_, Bella. I did it for all the things he'd done to you. I did it for what you became when you married him. I did it because I hated that the Bellatrix I'd loved had disappeared, replaced by something she wasn't. I did it because your father died before I could kill _him_! I did it for all the years of pain you had to endure as his wife! I did it because _I love you_!"

Tears were streaming down Bellatrix's cheeks in a silent flow. Will's voice had risen the longer he'd talked. His eyes were blazing with wrath as all the pent up anger he'd bottled up for so long came rushing out. But past the anger and wrath, behind the pain, deep in his eyes, Bellatrix saw love burning even brighter than the anger, stronger than the pain. Love for her. Love so undeserved after the countless horrible things she'd done since they'd been apart. At that moment, all the years that had separated them since the day her father sold her to Lestrange seemed to roll away, and standing in front of her once more was the boy she had pretend dueled with at family gatherings when they were children…the young man she had developed a crush on as they started Hogwarts…the man she had fallen in love with not long after that.

Her William.

She grabbed him and pulled herself against him, never wanting to let go. "Thank you," she whispered, still crying. "Thank you for setting me free. I can never pay you back for all you've done for me these last several months. I'm free and whole again, Will! How can I repay you?"

He pulled back a little, but still kept her in his arms. "Marry me," he whispered, his voice catching with emotion. "When this is all over, please be my wife, Bella."

Bellatrix face lit with a beautiful smile while her heart flipped around inside her chest. "I'm yours, Will only yours, now and forever!"

And with that, their lips met. And didn't part for a good lonog while….

**(XXX)**

**A/N: So, yeah, there you go. An over 11K word chapter. :/ Yikes. Anyway, the usual disclaimer, just in case anyone is foolish enough to think that I am Ms. Rowling, or that I'm making money from this. I'm not, to both. Hope whoever reads this enjoyed it. Any comments, review or PM me. Thanks!**


	11. Chapter 11: Severus Snape Makes A Housec

**SEVERUS SNAPE MAKES A HOUSECALL**

"**Oh, oh, oh, well we're pouring gasoline,  
So dance around the fire that we once believed in;  
Oh, oh, oh, it'll never be the same now,  
The takers and the liars that we all believed in.  
Well we're going down in flames,  
So dance around the fire, we dance around the fire,  
So come around and have another round on me…"**

Severus Snape was pacing in his quarters at Hogwarts. It was Saturday afternoon, and he'd just left another meeting with Dumbledore where he had found out about the death of the Lestrange brothers. Snape was no fool, so it was quite easy for him to connect the dots: Bellatrix had disappeared from Azkaban months before, and now the Lestranges had been murdered. There was only one person who could be behind Bella's seemingly impossible escape from Azkaban and the assassination of the Lestranges, only one person who would care about either, outside of the Dark Lord himself. If Bellatrix was with _him_, she'd be out cursing and killing right and left in his service. And _he _surely wouldn't have killed the Lestranges, two of his most loyal and fanatical followers. No, there was only one person that came to Snapes' mind: William Greengrass. It had to be.

He'd said as much to the headmaster, only to have the old fool shrug his shoulders. "I am certain that William Greengrass can take care of himself. He is quite a powerful wizard, after all."

Snape ground his teeth. "Albus, _I_ connected the dots to him about all this. Rather easily, I might add. Once the Dark Lord finds out, he'll turn his attention to the Greengrasses. William might be safe on his own lands, but what of his daughters? They're _here_, not _there_!"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Hogwarts is one of the safest places in the world, Severus!" He laughed.

Severus shot a glare at the old man. "Oh yes, so _very_ safe, headmaster." Snape's voice was dripping with sarcasm. "what with trolls getting in, three-headed dogs in the corridors, basilisks creeping through the walls, polyjuice disguised Death Eaters roaming the hallways, not to mention a house full of the children of Death Eaters. And their own house at that!"

Dumbledore put his best grandfatherly face on, and grasped Snape's shoulder. "Well, as you are head of that house, I have every confidence you'll look after them and keep them safe, Severus." He turned and walked behind his desk. Sitting down, he picked up a piece of parchment and glanced at Severus. "Was there anything else, my boy?"

Snape was fuming. "No, headmaster," he growled through clenched teeth. "Good day." He turned and stormed from the office, his robes swirling around him. As he stalked back to the dungeons, livid, he ground his teeth. The old fool was always so willing to play fast and loose with other people's lives. And all in the name of the "greater good". But these were children they were talking about! _Children_! How could the headmaster be so cavalier when the lives of _children _were at stake? Surely he knew that if the Dark Lord put a target on William Greengrass, his daughters would be in danger as well? Even here at Hogwarts they'd be in danger, especially from some of their darker housemates. Snape's scowl deepened. Yes, he would indeed take extra care to watch out for Daphne and Astoria. And yet he couldn't be everywhere at once.

Returning to his office, Snape dropped into his chair and took a swig of firewhiskey, vaguely wondering if he had been drinking too much recently. William Greengrass. The man was one of the very few who had ever treated Snape as a person, an equal, instead of someone to be used, a pawn to move around a chessboard. He'd never looked down on Snape for being a half-blood. They'd never been close—Severus wasn't close to anyone…hadn't been since he'd destroyed the only friendship he'd ever had, when he pushed Lilly away from him. His own lust for respect had pushed away the only person who'd ever had respect for him. Oh, the irony.

He took another swig of his drink as his mind wandered back to a particular incident involving the so-called Marauders. Severus had hated James Potter from the moment they met during their first year at Hogwarts. And he still hated him now, after the man had been dead for nearly fifteen years. Potter was arrogant and smug, and had a penchant for being a haughty prat. And yet, he usually got away with his bullying. Being a Gryffindor from a wealthy pureblood family, the teachers at Hogwarts tended to look the other way when he strutted about bullying others. But, not _everyone_ looked the other way, and there were _several _wealthy pureblood families at Hogwarts…

**(Flashback)**

The incident that wandered to Snape's mind involved one of the several times that James Potter had picked a fight with Snape, who would try to defend himself, only to wind up suspended upside down several feet in the air because Potter's friends—Sirius Black (another one that Snape hated with every fiber of his being) and Remus Lupin—were always with him. While the Marauders tormented him, a group of other students (mostly Gryffindors, _of course_) laughed at the spectacle. He remembered the smug look on Potter's face, the taunting he threw at Snape who vainly tried to break free of Potter's hex. Snape remembered the humiliation he felt as tears had come into his eyes. He reckoned this would be another time he was just dumped on the ground, hurt and embarrassed while the other students continued laughing and pointing at him.

But then a voice said, "All fight, Potter, you've had your fun. Now put him down."

Everyone—Snape and Potter included—turned to see who had spoken. Snape was gratified to notice that the Smug look dropped from Potter's face. It was replaced by a look of uncertainty, and perhaps a touch of fear. Approaching them was a group of Slytherins led by William Greengrass. Next to him, holding his hand, was his girlfriend Bellatrix Black. On his other side was Elizabeth Nott, followed by her brother. Immediately behind them were the other two Black sisters, Andromeda and Narcissa, as well as Lucius Malfoy.

Many in the other houses—specifically within Gryffindor—had taken to calling this group of friends the "Slytherin Seven" because the seven of them hung around together so much. They became something of a Slytherin counter to the Marauders of Gryffindor, though the parallel wasn't exact. The Slytherin Seven more so looked out for other Slytherins to keep them from being bullied by Gryffindors rather than pulling pranks on the rest of the houses.

The Greengrass family, being one of the three oldest magical families in Britain (the other two being the Averys and the Abbots), was held in high esteem by many. William Greengrass was a natural leader and a powerful wizard, even at a young age. And women were attracted to power. Not just in a romantic sense, but in a protective sense as well…Severus knew the younger Black sisters weren't romantically interested in William, since Narcissa had a gigantic crush on Lucius, and Andromeda kept quiet about her romantic life, despite the attempts of many young pureblood men who were vying for her attention. Yet they could frequently be found in the company of William and their older sister.

Lucius hung out with William because he wanted to keep close to the Black sisters, as his father desired to maintain his hopes of gaining influence and prestige within magical society. Abraxas Malfoy was a man ever obsessed with power and influence. William and Lucius were never close, but since both of them were pureblood Slytherins they got along well enough…and again, Abraxas told Lucius to spend time with William in hopes of getting the Greengrasses to drop their neutrality and join the Dark Lord.

As for the Nott idiot, he too hung around William in hopes of achieving more influence and power, whilst also keeping an eye on his sister. And it kept him in close proximity to the Black sisters as well. Nott thought all three of the girls were very pretty. Snape sneered to himself and shook his head. As if Nott had stood a chance of getting with any of them. Nott had always been an idiot. He was the Slytherin version of Pettigrew, the sniveling hanger-on to the stronger, more popular members of the group.

William and his friends stopped about ten feet from Potter and _his_ friends. William looked bored. Bellatrix was smirking at Potter, while Elizabeth had her eyes narrowed. The laughter of the other students who had been watching Potter bully Snape suddenly grew silent.

James, momentarily taken aback by the abrupt turn of events, regained most of his smug composure when he felt Sirius and Remus move in close to him on either side. "Well, what if I don't, Greengrass? What are _you _going to do about it?"

William's right eyebrow rose a little, whilst the left corner of his lip twitched upwards. "Would you like to _see _what I'll do about it, Potter?" An icy edge crept into William's voice. Bellatrix gave a soft cackle, her grin turning almost feral. Liz's eyes narrowed further, and she lowered her head slightly. The group of students held their collective breath as they watched the Gryffindor versus Slytherin standoff.

Sirius noted the looks on the faces of the Slytherins and decided enough was enough. As strong a wizard as James was, Sirius knew that the wizard and two witches now facing them were some of the strongest at the school. One on one, James _might_ have been able to hold his own with Greengrass. But adding Bellatrix and the Nott girl into the mix would make the situation unwinnable, even with Sirius and Remus backing him up.

Much to Snape's displeasure, who had hoped Potter was about to be served a large helping of humiliation, Sirius moved to diffuse the situation, knowing how quickly it could get out of hand if his Slytherin cousins decided to be particularly nasty with their spells. He patted James on the shoulder. "Come on, mate; it's not worth it. Let's go."

For once, reason seemed to win out. Even James had the sense to know he and his friends were no match for the Slytherins now facing them. Yet as he and his associates walked away, he still couldn't resist trying to have the last word. "We'll see you later, _Snivelus,_ when your friends aren't around to save your worthless arse."

Bellatrix flicked her wand at the retreating figures, sending a particularly painful stinging hex at James' backside. He yelled in pain and spun around, wand up. Bellatrix snickered, grinning and not even bothering to raise her wand. James glared at her and was about to say something—perhaps sending a spell of his own at Bellatrix, when his eyes flitted to William's face. William was staring at him impassively, but James detected an icy flicker deep in the blue eyes now staring him down, as if daring James to attack Bellatrix, who cackled louder. James also noted the wand now visible in William's hand.

Sirius noticed this too, and once more put his hand on James shoulder. Muttering something and shaking his head, he turned James back around and the Marauders continued towards the school.

William sighed and shook his head as well. Turning back to Severus, he saw that Liz had lowered him to the ground. "You okay, Snape?"

Severus nodded but didn't say anything, as he too watched the Marauders walk away.

"For Merlin's sake, Snape," Liz said. "Learn how to defend yourself against those idiots! Don't let them keep picking on you! You make the entire House look bad!"

"Don't you think I've_ tried_, Nott?" Severus hissed, turning a glare on Liz. "But they never go anywhere alone, and I can't beat all four of them by myself!"

"Those disgusting blood traitors will pay for their antics some day," Lucius murmured.

"Yes, our idiot of a cousin should be much more selective about who he keeps company with," Bellatrix said. She leaned into William and looped her arm through his, kissing him on the cheek. "Isn't that right, dearest?"

William snorted. "I do think he needs to have his head examined, hanging around with the likes of _James Potter_." He said the name like it left a bad taste in his mouth. He glanced at Severus. "Liz is right, Snape. You should try and learn a few other spells. We can't always be around to help you."

Snape wanted to sneer, but he knew he owed William and Bella for chasing the Marauders away. So he just nodded. "I will. I'll _create_ some spells to use against them if I have to!"

Bellatrix grinned at him, and Lucius said, "Excellent," in his oh-so-smooth voice. William smiled and said, "See you later, Snape." The group turned and headed back to the school themselves, leaving a grateful and somewhat envious Severus Snape staring after them. "Someday, I'll be as powerful as they are," he vowed to himself as he watched the group of Slytherins walk back to the castle before gathering his things and following his housemates. "I'll make the Dark Lord proud to have me on his side, even if I_ am_ just a half-blood,"

**(End Flashback)**

Snape took another swig of firewhiskey and shook his head, bringing his thoughts back to the present. As he'd told the headmaster, Snape had connected the dots back to William. And if _he _could, it wouldn't be long before Lucius did as well. Lucius might be a power-mad boot licker, but he wasn't stupid. He would figure it out and tell the Dark Lord, if he hadn't already done so.

Snape sighed and stood up. He knew he owed William Greengrass a lot for helping him out in school, and decided it was time to pay him a visit. If anyone questioned him about the visit, he would say it had to do with the Greengrass girls, and it wouldn't even be a lie. Because they, too, would be in danger if the Dark Lord discovered William Greengrass was working against him. Besides, Snape was genuinely curious to see if Bellatrix was indeed hiding out at Greengrass Manor.

And then another thought struck him: if Greengrass was indeed powerful enough to break Bellatrix out of Azkaban (and kill three Dementors in the process!), perhaps—just _perhaps_—he could help Snape break free of both Dumbledore _and_ the Dark Lord. He tossed some powder into the flames and said, "William Greengrass".

**(XXX)**

William and Bellatrix were sitting side by side on the sofa in the living room, enjoying the quiet of the house and each other's presence. William had his arm around her shoulders, and Bellatrix sighed in contentment, snuggling deeper into Will's side, her eyes drifting shut. "We need to tell your daughters about us, Will," she murmured. "About our engagement. I don't want them to hate me anymore than they already do."

"They don't hate you, Bella," William sighed. "Astoria is accepting of you, and Daphne is slowly coming around as well. She even said to greet you in her last letter. That's a vast improvement over how she was at Christmas."

"Yes, but…I don't want them to think I'm trying to replace their mother." She half opened her eyes and looked at the ring adorning the fourth finger of her left hand. The beautiful moonstone sparkled back at her. She felt the warmth radiating from it, and the gentle tingling it cast onto her finger. She smiled, remembering when he'd given it to her...

**(Mini flashback)**

After his impromptu proposal a couple weeks prior, Will had gone to Gringots the following morning to retrieve his grandmother's engagement ring from his vault. It was a beautiful ring: a large moonstone rested in the middle of a think band. The band itself was black Onyx, and inscribed with protection runes all along its surface. He hoped Bella would like it.

Returning to the house, he asked Lizzy and her fellow house elves to prepare a meal of Bella's favorite foods. They set up a little table in the sitting room, between the windows and the fireplace. Bella and Will enjoyed their dinner, and when the desert was brought out (lemon meringue pie, Bella's favorite), Will looked Bellatrix in the eye, smiled, and said, "I'm going to do this the right way." Slipping out of his chair, he went down on one knee next to Bella's. "Bellatrix Druella Black, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Even though he'd already asked her to marry him, and she'd said yes, Bella's eyes filled with tears at the romantic gesture. Will opened the small box he was holding to reveal the ring, and Bellatrix gasped at its beauty.

"Yes, yes, a thousand _times_ yes, of course I will, you silly man!" Slipping out of her chair, she knelt in front of him, and wrapped him in a tight embrace. Breaking the hug after a few moments, Will took her left hand in his, and gently slid the ring onto her finger. It was slightly larger in width than Bella's finger was—evidently his grandmother had larger fingers than Bellatrix. Perhaps Bella's fingers had shrunk during her imprisonment. But being filled with magic the ring automatically shrank to fit Bella's own finger. She immediately felt a warmth surge out from the ring, onto her finger and then rapidly throughout her entire body. She let out a slight gasp once again, and looked into Will's eyes. He was smiling at her.

"It's Moonstone," he murmured. "I enhanced it with some extra protection spells—it can even be used as an emergency port key if needed. I also put a couple of love spells into it." His hands found their way to Bella's cheeks. "This way, you'll always have a bit of me with you," his voice was low as he gazed into her eyes. "And _I'll _know that you're safer."

"I love you so much, Will," Bella whispered. A tear escaped her eye and made its way down her cheek as she leaned in to capture Will's lips with her own.

**(End mini flashback)**

As Bellatrix continued gazing at her ring, she murmured, "I can't believe that we're finally together again, Will. I never believed it could happen…never would have _hoped_ it could. But now, here we are." She shifted in his arms so she could look up at him, her hand sliding to his cheek. "Sometimes, since I've been here, the thought has crossed my mind about what would have happened if you hadn't rescued me from Azkaban, and I had been broken out with the others by…by _him_. How things might have been so very different if that had happened." Her eyes filled again. "I can't thank you enough for saving me, Will. But I'll spend the rest of my life trying."

Will pulled her tightly against his chest, his hand caressing her hair as she snuggled herself to him once more. "Having you in my arms is all I need, my love. All I need."

The fireplace chose that moment to hiss and blaze up, and a voice called, "Greengrass, it's Snape. May I come through?"

Fear surged through William at the sound of his daughters' head of house. "What is it, Severus? Did something happen to the girls?"

There was a slight pause before Snape said, "No, nothing's happened to your children. Not yet, anyway. May I come through and discuss it with you?"

Will glanced at Bellatrix. She sighed and nodded. She placed another kiss on his lips before sliding from his arms and exiting the room.

William stood and called, "Come on through, Sverus."

Moments later Snape stepped out of the fireplace, brushing ash from his robes. William extended his hand and Severus reluctantly shook it, giving one firm shake before releasing it…Snape had an aversion to physical contact.

William gestured Snape towards a chair, and sat down on the couch across from him. "So if my daughters are fine, what brings their head of house to my house?"

Snape leaned forward. "Look, Greengrass…William. We were never close at Hogwarts, but you did stand up for me on several occasions. Hardly anyone else ever did that for me, so…I feel that I owe you." Snape's mouth twisted a bit at his words. He hated owing anyone anything. He lowered his voice as he continued. "There are several people who believe that it was you who broke Bellatrix out of Azkaban, and some who think it was you behind the deaths of those idiot Lestrange brothers. I myself happen to be one of those people. So far, it's only been those on the so-called 'Light side' who've wondered this. But it won't be long before the Dark Lord connects the dots as well. And when that happens, he will send his Death Eaters after you; either to get you to join his cause, or, barring that, to kill you."

William's lips twitched up into a smirk. "Thank you for warning me, Severus, but I'm not worried. My lands are perhaps the most strongly protected in all of Britain, so I say let him try."

"Yes, perhaps here you are safe. But your _daughters_ are _not_ here; and as safe as Hogwarts may be, it's not nearly safe enough."

William leaned back against the couch and frowned. Snape was right: if they were outside of the wards on the Greengrass lands, the girls were at risk. It's not that William hadn't realized it before, but Snape's warning had dragged it back to the front of his mind. Along with Bellatrix, his daughter's meant more to him than anything else in the world. There must be a way to ensure their safety while they were away from home. Perhaps he could speak with the Lady about it?

Snape watched William closely as Will processed his thoughts. As the minutes dragged on, Snape's impatience grew. He wanted to know if Bellatrix was really at the Greengrass estate. So he interrupted William's thoughts.

"Greengrass, I have to know—is Bella here, or not?"

Will's gaze shifted to Severus, and he blinked, staring at Snape for several moments without answering. Then, ignoring Snape's question, he finally asked, "Would you care for anything to drink, Severus? Tea? Firewhiskey?"

Snape glowered at him. "Tea, if you please."

Will called for Lizzy, who appeared a moment later. "Master calls Lizzy?"

"Yes, would you please make us some tea, Lizzy?" The elf bobbed her head and popped out, reappearing moments later with the tea. She asked how Snape took his, and after preparing it gave Will his as well. He took a sip and smiled at her. "Perfect as always, Lizzy."

"Lizzy is happy Master likes his tea. Lizzy is going back to the kitchen now." She popped out again, and the two men spent a couple minutes in silence sipping their tea and staring at one another. Severus, as much as he wanted to know about Bellatrix and the Lestragne brothers, didn't mention it again. As if he'd come to a decision, Will abruptly set his tea down and said, "I'll return in just a moment, Severus." And with that he left the room.

Snape continued sipping his tea. Soon, the door opened again. Will entered, followed by none other than Bellatrix, who was grasping his hand. Snape noted their entwined fingers before gazing at Bellatrix's face. She looked better than she had the last time he'd seen her in person: her face was calm, almost serene, while the manic look was absent from her eyes. And she looked _much_ better than she had in the pictures they'd posted of her since the Azkaban breakout. She had filled back out some, and her hair looked clean and healthy, much like it had when they'd all been in school together.

She and Will sat down across from him, William placing his arm across her shoulders and Bellatrix leaning into his side. Snape couldn't recall Bella ever looking this peaceful since they'd been in school before seventh year. And perhaps not even then. He caught sight of the ring adorning her left ring finger and quirked an eyebrow.

_Well, _he thought. _It seems Greengrass has asked her to marry him, and apparently she said yes. He wouldn't have done that unless Lestrange was dead…the magic wouldn't have let it happen if the marriage bond between Bellatrix and Rodolphus was still intact._ A smug satisfaction spread through him as he realized he'd been right on both counts.

"Hello, Severus," Bellatrix said, her voice soft. A touch of the Black arrogance still lingered in it, but not to the extent it once had.

"Bella. You're looking well."

She inclined her head. "Thank you."

"This should answer your first question, Severus," Will said. "As to the other, yes…yes, I did kill them."

Severus noticed Bellatrix give a slight flinch when William said that. But it didn't seem to be out of regret over the death of her husband. No, it seemed as if she felt responsible for William having the blood of her husband and brother-in-law on his hands.

Severus snorted. "Good riddance, I say. The Lestranges were two of the most vile individuals I've ever had the misfortune of knowing. Not to mention the fact that they were a couple of blithering idiots. Their fanatical devotion to the Dark Lord was their undoing." Then he turned serious again. "But this will put you in the Dark Lord's line of wrath, William. As I said, my main concern is for your daughters. But even you and Bella could be in danger, as well as any of your friends and associates the Dark Lord can find."

Severus heard Bella release a soft gasp, casting a worried glance at William, who tightened his arm around her while he favored Severus with a grim smile. "If he does, then the Greengrass family will join the fight against him, and the combined magical power of the Neutral families will fall on him as well."

Snape shook his head. "But even with your side joining the fight it might not be enough. The ranks of his Death Eaters are swelling by the day, with young witches and wizards eager to join his cause. And it's not just humans…he is drawing many dark creatures to his side as well—the Dementors, giants, werewolves, perhaps even vampires."

William's smile grew, his lips rolling back from his teeth, making him look feral. "Oh, I've a few dark creatures on my side as well, Severus. Creatures strong enough to kill Dementors. Also, there are more of us neutrals than most people think. And unlike the goody—goody 'Light' side families, _we_ are not afraid to do what must be done in order to win a war."

Severus leaned back, looking from William to Bellatrix and back again. Bella looked a little nervous, but William appeared confident. The two were looking at each other the way only those who are truly in love can, lost in their own world for a moment. Bella's face softened, and she smiled, the worry leaving her face. Will reached out and cupped her cheek.

Snape looked away, out the window, sipping his tea. His outward appearance displaying his usual calm, while inside his mind was racing as he processed William's words. William had trusted Snape by revealing that Bellatrix was indeed there, that he had indeed killed the Lestranges, and that he had asked Bella to marry him (the latter not being spoken, but revealed by virtue of the ring on Bella's finger). His hope grew the more he thought, and his mind whispered, _do it…ask him. He helped you before, all those years ago. Just ask him!_

Snape set his cup down on the table beside his chair, and leaned forward. "William, there is something I must ask of you."

Something in Snape's tone of voice caused both Will and Bella to turn towards him. Snape took a deep breath. "What I am going to tell you I ask you to tell no one." Snape paused again, and took another deep breath. "As you both know, I joined the Dark Lord's side before we all left school, as did several of others of our house." He glanced at Bellatrix and her face flushed with embarrassment. "However, before the first war ended, certain…circumstances caused me to switch sides, and become a spy for Dumbledore." He wasn't ready to tell anyone of his love for Lilly Evans Potter. That was something only Albus knew, and Snape wasn't sure he'd ever tell anyone else besides the headmaster.

"To be frank, Albus isn't very different from the Dark Lord…he has fanatical followers who hang on his every word and follow it like the law, never questioning him. He manipulates, blackmails, bribes, threatens. But because of who he is, and his position within the magical community, he gets away with it, for the 'greater good' and all that." Snape couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice.

He stood and began pacing as he continued. "I'm sick of being his lackey. He still has me spying on the Dark Lord for him. No one in the Order likes me much. A few tolerate me because Dumbledore says they should, but they all just look at me as a Death Eater turned traitor, which makes me doubly untrustworthy in their minds. After nearly two decades doing this, I want out. I want to be free of both the headmaster _and_ the Dark Lord." He stopped pacing and spun to face Will and Bella. Bella was looking at him in shock, her mouth hanging open. Will was frowning and looking at the floor.

"If I guarantee the safety of Daphne and Astoria, will you help me break free? I know I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, and this is simply the result of those mistakes. But I am so tired of being everyone's pawn, of having no freedom to live the life I want to live. I've done terrible things in service to both men." He glanced at Bellatrix, who glanced away with a look of shame and regret on her face. Snape walked to the window and looked out. "But I have to believe that redemption is possible for me, too…even if perhaps I don't deserve it."

Snape turned to face William again, trying to read the emotions that were moving across it. Bellatrix was watching William too. The room fell silent, and stayed silent for several moments, the only sound coming from the clock on the mantle as it ticked the seconds away. Finally William sighed. Standing, he walked to Severus.

"My daughters mean more to me than anything or anyone else on earth." He glanced at Bellatrix while a soft smile appeared on his face. "Well, anyone else except for Bella."

Her lips twitched up in a shy smile, and she looked down.

Will regarded Severus again. "So if you can promise me that my daughters will be safe at Hogwarts, then I promise to do everything for you that I can to help you be free."

Raising his chin a little, Severus held out his hand.

Will looked down at it, then back to Snape's face. He knew what Snape had in mind. But it required a witness, and there was no one else except Bellatrix. And she had no wand. "Lizzy!"He called, the elf appearing almost instantly.

"Lizzy is hear, master."

"Would you please bring…mistress Mary's wand to me?" Will's voice was thick with emotion.

With a nod, Lizzy disappeared, retuning seconds later with the wand. She handed it to Will, a look of sadness in her large, round eyes, then popped out of the room.

"Bella, would you please come here?" Will asked, as he stared at the wand he was holding with a look of reverence and regret. Bellatrix rose rather reluctantly from the couch and joined the two men in the middle of the room. Will looked at her and held the wand out. Bellatrix looked at it, then looked back at William, her eyes asking if he was sure.

He smiled and gave her a slight nod. Taking a deep breath, Bella reached out and picked up the wand. Nothing happened for a second or two. Then Bellatrix gasped as a wave of magic surged out of the wand and encompassed her entire body in a warm glow that disappeared after a moment. William and Bella exchanged a look, each one reaching out to touch the other's cheek again, and Snape noted they both had tears in their eyes. The significance of the moment was not lost on Snape: This was the wand of William's deceased wife Mary, and it had just accepted Bellatrix as its new wielder.

Their hands lowered, and Will turned to look at Snape again. Reaching out, he clasped Snape's wrist who returned the gesture. Bellatrix put the tip of her wand on their joined hands. Looking at Snape she asked, "Do you, Severus Snape, vow to protect the lives of Daphne and Astoria Greengrass with everything in your power?"

"I will," Snape answered. A stringy, orange flame emanated from the wand, wrapping itself around Will and Severus' hands before disappearing.

Looking at William, she asked, "Do you, William Greengrass, vow to do everything in _your _power to help Severus Snape break free of those controlling him, so he can live his life as he so chooses?"

"I will," came the reply, and another string of orange fire issued from the wand, once again enveloping their hands in a soft glow and disappeared. The men released one another's wrists and shook hands. Severus felt as though some immense, unseen weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He knew he wasn't free yet, but also knew it was only a matter of time now. William had done the impossible more than once, by rescuing Bellatrix from Azkaban, killing three Dementors, and restoring her to sanity. If he could do all that, Snape knew William could save him from the clutches of Albus and Voldermort.

Uncharacteristically, he spent close to another hour at the Greengrass house before returning to Hogwarts, reminiscing with William and Bellatrix about their school years. Snape hadn't reminisced with anyone in…well, ever. He didn't have anyone in his life that he would call friends, but something inside him felt as if he now had friends in the two people sitting across from him. And he found it was a nice feeling, having friends. He hoped that one this miserable business was over, he could have an actual, normal life, something he'd dreamed of since first arriving at Hogwarts all those years ago. And at last, he had hope that there was indeed a light at the end of the tunnel.

But for now, he still had a job to do. After finishing his second cup of tea, he took leave of Will and Bella, promising to keep them informed of anything from both the headmaster and Voldermort that pertained to them, before returning to Hogwarts. He sighed as he began his preparations for next week's lessons, and also mulled over his plans for keeping the Greengrass girls safe. He sighed. He wasn't overly fond of children to begin with, and now he was responsible for the safety of three.

Then he chuckled to himself as another thought struck him. "I've just become a triple agent." Smiling, he shook his head.

**(XXX)**

After Severus left, William and Bellatrix spent a little time discussing the events of the afternoon. Will, however, seemed a bit distracted. Bellatrix was worried that it had something to do with the fact the his wife's wand had bonded with her, but didn't say anything about it, choosing to let him bring it up if he wanted to.

Just before supper time, Will stood. "There's something I need to go see to, love. And I need to go alone."

Bellatrix shot to her feet. "Is it dangerous?" Her voice held a note of fear.

Will took her in his arms and embraced her. "No, my love, not for me. It has to do with Greengrass family secrets. I promise when the time comes, you will know everything. When we're married, you'll be a Greengrass, and there will be no more secrets between us. I promise." He kissed her forehead and let her go. "I'll be back by supper, love."

When Will left, Bella walked to the window and watched as Will headed towards the woods. A soft, spring breeze was rustling the branches of the trees outside, and sending sweet aromas of blossoming flowers into the room.

She wondered what Will was doing, but rested in his promise that someday he would tell her everything. The day they became one. Oh, the two of them were definitely already one in soul…had been since they were children, in fact, though neither had known it at the time. But soon they would be one completely, in every way. At least, she hoped it would be soon. This war couldn't end soon enough for her.

Bellatrix gazed at the wand in her hands. She hadn't held a wand in over a decade, not since that fateful day with the Longbottoms. Now she had one again, the wand belonging to the dead wife of the man that she loved with all her heart. Bellatrix clutched the wand to her chest, her eyes looking up towards the sky.

"Thank you, Mary Abbot," she whispered. "Thank you. I promise that I will take care of them for you…Will, Daphne, and Astoria. Your daughters have grown into beautiful, intelligent young women. I'll protect all three of them with my life. I swear it!"

As she turned from the window, Bella could swear she heard the distinct sound of a woman signing carried on the wind. Looking out, Will had disappeared, and there was no one else in sight. Shrugging, she headed up to her room. She was almost back to normal physically after her ordeal in Azkaban, but she felt tired after the emotions of the day, and seeing Severus again. A nap would do her good. And when she woke, Will would be back

**(XXX)**

When Will reached the edge of the forest, and was out of sight of the house, he spoke the ancient words. Moments later, three dark and cloaked figures stood before him. "What does the Keeper of the Words require of us?" The cold voice of the middle being intoned.

"War is coming," Will replied. "Some may try getting onto our lands to attack us. You are to kill anyone who enters the lands of the Greengrass family, unless they are authorized to be here by me. Also, I need some of you to go to the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts and make certain my daughters are safe. They are the heiresses of the Greengrass family, and our line must continue. Do what you must to ensure their safety, but do not kill any innocents."

The middle being inclined its head. "It shall be done as you ask, Keeper of the Words." The three turned and silently disappeared into the forest once more. Moments later, there was a flapping sound, and several dark figures rose from the forest and passed by over head, moving swiftly and silently away to the north.

Will watched them disappear into the distance. Let Voldermort or his followers try something now. Smirking, he wondered what Dumbledore would think knowing that Dark Dwellers would now be dwelling in the forest adjacent to Hogwarts. He shook his head. The old man would probably lose it, having powerful dark creatures so close to the school.

As Will headed back to the house, he heard singing once more coming from the direction of the big pond. The melody washed over him as the ancient words reached into his heart and stirred some primal feeling, planting peace deep within his soul.

"Thank you, Lady," Will murmured, as he turned back to the house of his ancestors, where the woman who held his heart was waiting for him.

**A/N: There you have it. Not nearly where I had intended to stop when I began writing this chapter, but as usual, my brain kept adding things as I typed, so I had to cut if off sooner than I'd originally planned. :/ Hopefully, the next chapter will be posted in a couple of days. Anyway, hope you enjoy. Questions, comments, whatever, send a PM Or, if you're feeling especially adventurous, leave a review. **


	12. Chapter 12: Easter Holliday: Part One

**A/N: I know a couple people are reading this story. SO if they, or anyone who happens to just stumble across it, is thinking, "Good grief, Bellatrix is SO out of character here!" Well, yes…yes she is. But it's because her timeline has diverged with Mr. Greengrass breaking her out of Azkaban months before Voldermort. Bellatrix even alluded to this last chapter, when she wondered how things might have been different if she had been broken out with the others by Voldermort. But never fear, a good bit of the old Bellatrix is still there; she's just turned morally grey instead of dark. Shutting up now. Hope everyone who reads it enjoys the chapter.**

**EASTER HOLIDAY: PART ONE**

"**Pureblood will guide your way,  
Look to the inside to break the seals;  
Bleed out the dark decay,  
Ascend to places beyond the real…"**

There was a copy of The Daily Prophet hanging on the wall above Neville's desk in his dorm room. Said newspaper had been hanging above his desk for three and a half months now. The reason this particular edition of The Daily Prophet had adorned the dorm room wall all that time was because of the headline it bore:

**LONGBOTTOM HEIR AND GREENGRASS HEIRESS BETROTHED!**

**Lord William Greengrass Announces Engagement of His daughter Daphne, to Neville Longbottom, at First Major Social Event of the New Year!**

Beneath the words was a picture of him and Daphne kissing and then smiling as they raised their joined hands. Neville glanced at the paper frequently; and no matter how bad his day had been, he would smile when he read the headline.

Dean and Seamus had been teasing Neville about it since classes resumed after the Christmas and New Year holidays. Even Harry had tossed a bit of good natured teasing at Neville, though he was very glad for his friend. Yet to everyone's surprise, Ron had not said a word about it. At first only Neville and Harry had known why Ron was so quiet about it. But now, Ron wanted everyone to know about his feelings towards Tracey Davis. He wanted the entire school to know that he had his own beautiful and bold Slytherin girlfriend. Whenever the two of them were together, they were always holding hands. That had started New Year's night at Tracey's house, when Ron had found her crying on a back staircase, and it showed no sign of stopping. His sister, Ginny, was not happy about her brother taking up with a Slytherin. Not happy one bit.

Now, to be fair, another copy of the same edition of the Prophet also adorned the top of Daphne's dresser in her own dorm room. Soon after students returned from the holidays, Pansy had made some rather snide and disparaging comments about Neville. Daphne did not take kindly to it, hexing Pansy to the point of Pansy needing to pay a visit to Madam Pomfrey, after which she shut up about Neville. Wisely, Pansy had refrained from making any comments about Tracey and Ron, though it was obvious she was dying to…Pansy hated the Weasleys much more than she disliked Neville, since the Weasleys were considered blood traitors by many. But Pansy valued her own skin above all else—well, all else besides perhaps Draco; and she knew that she was no match for Daphne, let alone Tracey and Daphne together. So in an uncharacteristic move, she kept her mouth shut.

Whatever Millicent happened to think about the love lives of her dorm mates, she kept to herself.

The situation at Hogwarts was rapidly deteriorating. Umbrige and her tactics were becoming intolerable. Harry and Hermione had organized a group of students into what they called "Dumbledore's Army". They were training their fellow students in how to better defend themselves. Daphne had wanted to join them when she found out about the clandestine meetings, but many of the other students had balked at having a Slytherin join them, "especially from a family as dark as the Greengrasses are," Seamus had muttered. This almost caused a fight between he and Neville, which Harry stopped by stepping between the two boys. Hermione went on to lash out verbally at Seamus, rushing to Daphne's defense…prejudice was obviously _not_ exclusive to the "dark" side.

Disappointed but not daunted, Daphne had insisted she was able to help in some way. So, much like her head of house, she became a spy for Dumbledore's army within Slytherin. She reported any information she gathered to Neville, as since they were already a well established couple, no one would suspect anything if they were seen together.

Concerned for his betrothed's safety, Neville also took it upon himself, with Harry's blessing, to train with Daphne one on one. When they could focus on the training, Daphne excelled. But many nights the training unwound into some rather passionate snogging sessions.

True to his word, Severus had begun to keep a closer watch on the Greengrass girls. He took to tutoring them in various skills: Daphne was excellent at potions—a trait she believed she had inherited from he mother. Astoria, on the other hand, was excellent at transfiguration. Snape also schooled both girls on magics of the mind, such as legimancy and occulmancy.

And out in his hut, Hagrid slowly became aware of a disturbance within the Forbidden Forrest…it felt darker and colder, while the centaurs were sensing the presence of creatures they were unfamiliar with. And they were afraid.

Soon, the Easter break was upon them, much to everyone's relief. Once again, the seven friends all crowded into a single compartment on the train. This time it was Tracey who sat on Ron's lap. Daphne and Neville sat across from them smirking, remembering the trip to school at the end of Summer.

Ron glared at them, remembering the start of term train ride as well. "Alright, alright," he muttered. "Go ahead and joke about it if you want. I s'pose it's only fair after how much I bugged you guys before."

Tracey, her arm around Ron's shoulders while is encircled her waist, shot a pleading look at Daphne. Daphne's eyes flickered to Tracey a moment before returning to Ron, and her smirk softened into a genuine smile. "I'm not saying a word, Weasely. It would be rather hypocritical of me, after all." She leaned forward and her voice turned serious. "Except, you better not hurt my friend or I will hurt _you_." Her smile dissolved into a short lived glare.

Ron gulped. Tracey and Daphne shared a smirk.

Neville, on the other hand, couldn't resist. "I swear, if you two start snogging—" he began, but Ron cut him off. "You'll leave the compartment, yeah yeah."

"No," Neville replied, pulling Daphne closer to his side while the smirk grew larger on his face. "I'll just snog Daph even more."

Daphne blushed bright red, and gave Neville's arm a gentle smack. "Prat," she muttered, but the smile on her face betrayed that she wasn't upset at all.

Arriving at King's Cross, the friends filed out of the train and onto the platform. Amidst the crowds of parents and other students, they saw Mrs. Davis smiling and waving at them. As the group approached, Astoria broke away, running up to Liz and enveloping her in a hug.

"How are you, Aunt Elizabeth?"

"I'm fine, dear. How is school going?" Liz smiled at the enthusiastic young girl.

"Eh, pretty good, I reckon, except for that toad Umbridge." Astoria stood on her tiptoes and glanced around the station. "Where's father? We thought he was coming with you?"

"He said he was running a little late," Liz replied. "But he should be here any minute."

The others joined them, Daphne giving Liz a hug as well. Ron, still clinging to Tracey's hand, was scanning the crowd for his own parents. On the ride back to King's Cross, he had invited the group over to the Burrow for the weekend after Easter, and wanted to clear it with his mother. Ginny and the twins joined them, the twins engaging in hearty conversation with the others, while Ginny stood back from the group…she alternated between glaring at Daphne (_What does Neville even see in her?_), glaring at Ron and Tracey's joined hands (_I can't believe my own brother has taken up with a filthy Slytherin!_), and grinning at Harry (_Merlin, Harry is so incredible and wonderful!_).

"There you lot are!" A harsh voice yelled. Molly Weasley was bustling towards them. She hugged the twins and Ginny, fussing over them profusely. Her face darkened when she, too, noticed Ron clutching Tracey's hand. But hugged him nonetheless….though, perhaps not as energetically as she had her other children.

Then she greeted the others, fussing loudly over Harry and Hermione as well, giving Neville and Daphne a more subdued yet still polite greeting, congratulating them on their betrothal. Turning last, and somewhat reluctantly, to Tracey, she said, "And you must be the girl who's captured our Ronald's attention. It's nice to finally meet you, dear." Her voice was overly sweet and polite.

Tracey swallowed hard and took the hand Molly had extended towards her. "I'm pleased to meet you, Mrs. Weasley."

Molly's laugh sounded rather forced. "Oh, none of that Mrs. Weasley nonsense, now! You must call me Molly."

Molly then looked at Liz, her face turning into a nasty sneer. "_Nott,_" she spat, a disgusted tone in her voice.

Liz returned Molly's sneer with an equally nasty one of her own. "_Prewitt,"_ she replied. The teens noted how the women had both used the other's maiden name, indicating just how far back their animosity for one another went.

The two women continued staring each other down until Ron cleared his throat. "Um, mum, I was wondering if my friends might come over for the day next Saturday, if it's ok with you and dad."

Molly blinked, and broke eye contact with Liz as she turned to Ron. "What was that, love?"

"I was wondering if it would be ok for my friends here to come over to our place next Saturday before we head back to school," Ron repeated.

Molly stared blankly at Ron while Ginny's mouth dropped open in shock. Noticing this, the twins jumped into the discussion before Ginny could say anything negative. They loved their little sister to pieces, but she was very like her mother when it came to personal prejudices…and Slytherins.

"I think it would be a swell idea, mum!" George said.

"Yeah, we could even have an impromptu quditch game! It would be fun!" Fred added.

Molly thought Ron's request over. She did desire to speak with Neville (whom she already knew quite well) and Daphne (whom she did not). She didn't think she'd be able to break their feelings for each other, and in fact Dumbledore had told the Order not to interfere in the relationship between Neville and Daphne, as the relationship would give them an edge in the coming war. But Molly wanted to try and sway Daphne more to the light side, and away from what she considered the "dark leanings of the Greengrass family". Even though the Greengrass estate was in rather close proximity to the Burrow, there had never been much interaction between the families. And Molly's innate prejudices often clouded her judgment.

She had, of course, been told of her Ronald's current interest in Tracey Davis. Ginny had been all too eager to inform her mother of that fact. Ginny shared her mother's extreme dislike of all things Slytherin, and both women felt Ron had betrayed them by starting to date the Davis girl. But Molly's concern went far deeper than that.

Molly knew there was a close alliance between the Greengrass and Davis families, so she had known that Ron was spending more time in close proximity to certain Slytherins. However, she still harbored deep resentment towards Elizabeth Davis for killing the brother of her best friend, hence the two ladies coldness towards each other. Daphne feared this dislike of Liz might extend into a dislike of Tracey dating Ron. And indeed, it pained Molly to think of her baby boy dating the daughter of one of her greatest enemies.

Besides her hatred of Liz, Molly still believed in her heart of hearts that Bellatrix was one of the Death Eaters who had murdered her brothers, though no real proof existed to confirm her suspicions; and Bellatrix herself had told Daphne's father that she had not been there. So she also held dislike for Daphne's father, justified or not, because of his past (and Molly believed current) relationship with Bella.

"Well, I believe that would be fine." She seemed to consider it a moment more before nodding. "Yes. It would be a nice way for you all to spend some nice time together before returning to Hogwarts with that horrible Umbrige woman."

Without warning, Astoria had darted away from the group. A bright smile on her face, she called, "DADDY!" This caused a few heads in the crowd nearby to turn. Most seemed curious, but a few faces morphed into scowls or frowns upon seeing the Greengrass patriarch among them.

But William ignored everyone else around him, all his attention fixed on his daughters, and their group of friends. "Hello, sweetheart," he said, dropping to one knew so he could hug Astoria as she ran to him with her arms open. "I'm glad you guys are home for a little while."

"I missed you so much," Astoria murmured, her voice muffled by Will's chest.

Will gave her an extra squeeze. He realized that sooner or later, a boy would capture Astoria's attention just like Neville had won Daphne's heart. And he would become a secondary person in both his daughters' lives. And that was as it should be. But for now, he enjoyed the closeness. "And I missed you too, honey."

Placing a kiss on her forehead, he stood and the two of them walked to the others. "Sorry I'm late, everyone," he said, stopping to kiss Liz on the cheek before Daphne moved to hug him. When she stepped back, Will noticed Molly standing near, scowling at him, arms folded tightly across her midsection. Beside (and slightly behind) her stood Ginny, her face and body posture mirroring her mother's look of disapproval. Ginny had never met Will before, but she had heard her mother ranting about him in the past, and she felt a bit scared. But her mother's presence bolstered her confidence somewhat.

Will forced a smile onto his face. "Hello, Mrs. Weasley. It's…nice to see you again. You look well." He had no great love for Molly Weasley, to put it mildly.

Molly raised her chin and sniffed, a look of disdain replacing the scowl on her face. "Thank you, Mr. Greengrass," she replied, her voice sounding haughty.

Will smirked. The Weasley might be purebloods, but they were exceedingly poor, and he couldn't help but wonder what her arrogance stemmed from. Probably because of her unwavering belief in the "evilness" of everyone even remotely associated with Slytherin house.

With another sniff, Molly turned back to the teens. "Anyway, you are all welcome to come to the Burrow next Saturday for a back to school party." The she turned and her scowl returned as she addressed Will and Liz. "Just the children, mind. _You're_ not invited _Nott_!"

"I wouldn't set foot in that filthy shack you call a house if you _paid _me to, _Prewit_! Oh, wait…you couldn't pay me—you're far too poor!"

Will was torn between snorting with laughter at how Liz and Mrs. Weasley were sniping at each other, and trying to diffuse the situation between the two women. He'd known that Liz harbored deep resentment towards Molly, and it was obvious that Molly returned the favor. The scowl turned to a glare, and he feared the two women might start hurling spells any moment. Meanwhile, the teens were all watching the interaction between the adults closely, and not saying a word, their eyes wide. Time to end the conversation.

"That's fine, Mrs. Weasley," Will said, drawing her attention to him. "I'm sure the kids will have a marvelous time at your home. I'm glad that they've managed to see each other as friends rather than adversaries, coming from two houses that don't often get along well." He plastered the sincerest smile he could muster across his face, which wasn't much. He didn't hate Molly to the same extent that Liz did, but he certainly didn't care for the woman at all. She was loud, overbearing, opinionated…everything his dear Mary had not been.

Molly huffed, and swept her gaze across Will. Her chin raising again, she replied, "Yes, one can only hope that the next generation will be able to leave behind the prejudices and…actions of their parents." She narrowed her eyes, glancing from Liz to Will and back to Liz.

Her words weren't lost on the adult Slytherins. Liz let out a soft growl, glaring back at Molly. Will raised an eyebrow. "Indeed, Mrs. Weasley," he said, giving a pointed stare at Ron and Ginny before looking Molly in the eye. "One can only hope so."

A flicker of indignation flashed across Molly's face, and a soft gasp escaped her. How dare a dark wizard like William Greengrass accuse her sweet children of holding unreasonable prejudices! But before she could get an angry reply out, Will turned with a bright smile to the teens. "Mr. Longbottom, always a pleasure to see you." He shook Neville's hand. He turned to Hermione next. "Miss Granger, charming as always." he extended his hand and kissed the back of Hermione's, who blushed.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, it's been too long. I hope you are both well." The boys both shook his hand, and they made some small talk about how much they all hated Dolores Umbridge. Fred and George joined the conversation, eager to introduce themselves to Daphne's father. Unlike most of their family, they seemed to not be bothered by the presence of so many snakes. Will decided he like them far and above the other Weasleys.

Finally Will turned to Ginny. "And who is this delightful looking young lady?"

Ginny's eyes went wider in fear, and she inched further behind her mother.

"My youngest, Ginerva," Molly ground out, her glare deepening. Youngest? Oh thank Merlin…that meant the Weasleys were done making more Weasleys to turn lose and inflict on the world. Will's smile was genuine as he gave a slight bow to Ginny. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Weasley."

Ginny gulped, and managed a small nod, before moving even further behind her mother, who kept glaring at Will.

Will turned to his daughters and Elizabeth. "Well girls, Liz, if you are all ready to go, we'd best get home."

He heard Molly mutter something under her breath that sounded like, "Yes, run back to your Death Eater whore."

Anger surged through him and he shot a look of pure hate at Molly. His hand was subconsciously moving for his wand when Liz put her hand on his shoulder and gave it a tight squeeze. The teens were busy telling each other goodbye and hadn't seemed to hear Molly's comment. But Liz had. Knowing Will's fierce protective feelings towards any one he cared about, she gave her head a discrete shake when he glanced at her. He relaxed his posture, and Molly smirked in triumph for getting a rise out of him.

Ron and Tracey were standing a little apart, holding hands. "I'm sorry about how my mum acted, Tracey," he mumbled, looking down.

Tracey smiled. Putting her hands on his face she directed his gaze back to her. "It's ok, Ron…my mum wasn't too kind either."

Ron returned her smile with a weak one of his own. "I just wish they got along better. Seems like they really hate each other." He leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss, then rested his forehead against hers. "But I'm not like them anymore. I've learned that not all snakes are bad. I—I'm crazy about you, and Daphne and her sister seem great too." Then he frowned. "But I still hate most of them…especially Blaize, for what he did to you." His frown morphed into a cheesy smile. "Of course, if he hadn't you and I would never have gotten together. But I'm still mad at him for hurting you so much."

Tracey smiled. "I'm not. In fact, I'll have to thank him the next time I see him." They hugged again and kept hugging, until they heard an impatient "Ahem!" from behind. Turning, they saw that Daphne and her family were walking away, and that both their mothers were giving them impatient stares. Liz was tapping her foot.

Looking back at Tracey, Ron smiled. "Our mum's may hate each other, but right now they're on the same page." They shared one more kiss, drawing catcalls from the twins. Tracey blushed but Ron just rolled his eyes. "See you later, Trace," he said as he walked to his family.

"Owl me!" She called after him as she moved to join her mother.

"Every day!" Ron called, grinning. "See you Saturday!"

Tracey stood beside her mother as the two women watched the Weasleys walk away. Tracey was smiling whilst Liz was frowning. "I'm not entirely certain I like you hanging around with that boy, Tracey," Liz muttered.

"Ron's ok, mum," Tracey replied. "His mother, not so much. Nor his sister. The twins are nice, though."

"But…he's a _Weasley_! Couldn't you have found some better young man? Maybe someone not so poor? The son of one of your father's friends, for instance? Well, at least he's a pureblood…"

Tracey rolled her eyes. "Come on, mum. Let's go home."

Liz huffed as she and Tracey left the platform. They caught up with the Greengrasses and the group headed for the Leaky Cauldron.

**(XXX)**

Bellatrix greeted them when they arrived home later that evening after having a leisurely dinner at the pub. Will stepped out of the fireplace and walked over to her, hugged her tight and kissed her on the cheek. Daphne and Astoria stepped out behind him, setting their school bags on the sofa.

"Welcome home, Will," she murmured. "I missed you."

"And I you," Will replied, kissing her again, and on the lips this time. Then they smiled at one another until a quiet snicker sounded next to them.

Bellatrix pulled back, her face turning bright red. "Oh, um, h-hello, girls. How are you?"

"I'm ok, Ms. Bella," Astoria replied, smirking. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, Astoria. Thank you." She gave the girl a small but warm smile.

Daphne was observing the woman. Bellatrix definitely looked better than she had before: her hair was shiny and looked healthy, she had filled out a little more and didn't look as emaciated as she had when they'd first met her at Christmas. Her skin was no longer pale, and glowed with health. Daphne had to admit that Bellatrix was a beautiful woman, especially considering all she had gone through in her life, including almost fourteen years In Azkaban.

"Hello, Daphne," Bellatrix said with hesitance. She knew the girl still didn't trust her, and Bella didn't want to do anything to ruin the small steps Daphne had taken towards accepting her.

"Good evening, Ms. Black," Daphne replied, her voice cool but polite. Now that Bellatrix's husband was dead, her surname had reverted to Black.

Daphne meant to keep her promise with Neville about giving Bellatrix a chance to prove that she'd really changed. But it still hurt Daphne a little to see this woman filling the role in her father's life that had been—and still should be—her mother's. "You look well, ma'am."

Bella's eyes widened at the unexpected compliment. "Th-thank you."

"You girls can go unpack and settle in if you'd like," Will said. "If you're still hungry, I'm sure Lizzy will be thrilled to bring you something."

Daphne rolled her eyes. "I'm stuffed. I probably won't be able to eat for a week."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Daughter, as Easter dinner will be tomorrow at Noon," her father said with a smirk.

"I'll eat her share!" Astoria chimed in.

Will and Daphne both laughed, then Daphne yawned. "I think I'll just go up to bed. It's been a long day. Good night, everyone. Lizzy!"

The elf appeared. "Yes, Miss Daphne?"

"Will you please take my things up to my room, Lizzy?" Daphne said over her shoulder as she started up the stairs. Lizzy snapped her fingers and the bags disappeared.

"Got anything good in the kitchen, Lizzy?" Astoria asked.

Smiling, the little elf replied, "Miss Astoria may come with Lizzy and see." She was always so happy when the girls were home, Will noticed.

Astoria grinned and yelled, "RACE YOU, LIZZY!" as she bolted out of the room. Lizzy looked at Will. "Does Mistress Bella or Master need anything from Lizzy?" She asked.

Will glanced at Bellatrix. "No thank you, Lizzy," She told the elf.

A mischievous smile graced the elf's face and she snapped her fingers, disappearing from the room. Seconds later they heard a Astoria shout, "No fair, Lizzy! I can't aparate!"

Bellatrix snickered, glancing at Will. Her eyes sparkled as she grinned. "Those darn elves are so sneaky."

Will grinned back at her. He had never seen Bellatrix exhibit this level of genuine happiness, not since…well, since forever, actually. Even when they were still in school, she'd never appeared this at ease and just…happy. There had always been something else, haunting the depths of her eyes. Part of it had been her parents, he was sure. her parents were now dead, and Will and Bella had both gone through their own private hells since leaving Hogwarts. But this one moment made the entirety of the last two decades worth it all.

**(XXX)**

When they had finished their Easter meal, and before Lizzy brought out the desert (another of Bellatrix' favorites), William cleared his throat to get the girls' attention, as they were carrying on a lively discussion about their plans for the rest of their vacation.

"Um, girls, there is something that we would like to, uh, tell you…" his voice trailed off. The girls fixed their attention on him, Astoria with a bit of anticipation, Daphne with a slight feeling of dread.

Their father cleared his throat again. "We…that is, Bella—er, Ms. Black and I…we would…um…"

Bellatrix decided to have mercy on the poor man. In a burst of bravery she'd not experienced since she had fought her way out of her madness, she placed her hand on William's shoulder. Giving him a small smile, she turned to the girls.

"This may be difficult for you to hear, girls, but…" her voice trailed off and she gave Will a nervous glance of her own. He smiled and squeezed her hand. Looking back at the girls, whose undivided attention she now had, she took a deep breath. "Your father asked me to marry him and I said I would." She said it in a rush, and her face turned as red as an evening sunset.

She then glanced as the girls and chewed her bottom lip anxiously. Astoria and Daphne glanced at each other, then at their father, then at Bellatrix. Astoria couldn't contain herself any longer, and let out a loud, "YAAAY!" She got up and enveloped Bellatrix in a hug, then gave her father one as well.

Daphne was staring at her plate while Astoria gushed on about never having been to a wedding. Once Astoria had calmed down and returned to her seat, Daphne's eyes flickered across Bellatrix before resting on her father. "When will it be?" She asked.

"Not until this whole mess is over, for several obvious reasons," Will replied in a quiet voice. "Could be months, could be years. We're not sure."

"Please don't wait years!" Astoria pled. "I don't want to wait years before I get a new mum!"

Daphne flinched, and Bellatrix, who had been watching her noticed. "Please don't think I'm trying to replace your mother, girls. No one could do that, so I'm not even going to try." She glanced at Will. "I didn't know your mother well at all. We Slytherins, well I'm sure you know what our house is like since both of you are in it as well. We didn't associate much with people outside of Slytherin, but your father has told me a lot about your mother, and she sounds like an amazing woman. I can't hope to replace her in your lives. But I hope we can at least be friends." She was looking at Daphne with such a pleading, hopeful look that Daphne's attitude towards the woman melted a little.

"That sounds great!" Astoria chirped, blissfully unaware of the tension in the room. "What should we call you, Ms. Bella?"

"You can call me whatever you feel comfortable with, Astoria," Bellatrix replied with a smile.

"As long as it's respectful," amended Will, casting a quick glance at Daphne, who rolled her eyes.

"I call your sister Aunt Andromeda, may I call you Aunt Bellatrix?" Astoria's voice was eager.

"Of course you may, dear," Bella told the girl, feeling elated that Astoria felt comfortable enough with her to use the same title for her as she did for Andi. Bella knew how close the girls were to her sister.

Daphne sighed. "You make my father happy, ma'am. Keep making him happy, okay?"

Bella sent a small smile to Will. "I intend to spend the rest of my life making your father happy."

Daphne nodded. "Then, I'm ok with this."

Bella's eyes teared up. "Thank you, Daphne." She wanted to say more, but didn't feel the time was quite right. Besides, Lizzy chose that moment to bring desert out, and the conversation turned to how school was going and loud complaints about Delores Umbrige from the girls.

The girls eventually left the table. Daphne was going to get ready for Neville, who was coming to bring her to visit his grandmother for the second part of Easter. Astoria intended to take a nap and then write a few letters. Stopping on her way out of the room, Astoria gave Bellatrix a tight hug. "I'm glad you've come into our lives, Aunt Bella," she murmured before ending the hug. Flashing Bellatrix a bright smile, Astoria skipped out of the room.

Bellatrix watched her go, and her eyes began filling with tears again. She turned to Will, and he noted the tears, placing his hand on top of hers.

Bellatrix swiped the back of her hand across her eyes. "Ugh! I never used to be this sappy, did I Will?"

He smiled, squeezing her hand. "Time changes us, my love. For the better or for the worse. And sometimes both."

**(XXX)**

Neville called to say he would be over in five minutes. And everyone got the point. He didn't want to see Bellatrix, because he was still dealing with his hate towards her. Will was grateful for his honesty, and Astoria teased her sister by batting her eyelids and saying, "Oh, what a gentleman he is!"

Bellatrix was still struggling with guilt over what had happened to Neville's parents, so she went out into the kitchen with Lizzy, only coming back out after Neville had arrived to collect his fiancé, and the young couple had departed. The three of them spent a peaceful evening in the living room talking, until Bella and Astoria had gone to their rooms for the night.

When Daphne returned from the Longbottoms _very_ late that night, she found her father sitting in his study in front of the fireplace reading a book. It was well after Midnight. She smiled to herself. "Are you waiting up for me, father?" she teased.

He turned to her with a smile, setting the book in his lap. "Not at all, Daughter. I trust you and Mr. Longbottoom to behave yourselves. Did you have a nice visit?"

Daphne walked over and sat in the chair next to his. "Of course. Any time I spend with Neville is amazing. His grandmother, maybe not as much."

Will chuckled. "Yes, Augusta can be quite the character. But she loves your betrothed, and while she might often smother him sometimes with rules, she thinks it's for his own good."

Daphne huffed and rolled her eyes. "Well I'm very glad you don't smother Astoria and I like that. I don't think I could handle it."

There was silence between them for a while, the popping and crackling of the fire the only sound as they both watched the flames dance. "I don't hate her, father," Daphne murmured, breaking the silence. "I did at first, and I was so mad at you for breaking her out of prison and bringing her into our lives. I mean, all I know of her was that she was a cruel, vicious, crazy murderer and follower of the Dark Lord. And I couldn't understand what it was you saw in her. And I hated her for what she had done to Neville's parents. Or what I thought she'd done, like everyone else thinks she did. And I hated her for taking mother's place in your life.

"Then I learned more about her, I saw how Tori took to her so fast…Tori is a good judge of character, not easily fooled. And I watched you with her, saw how you two acted towards one another, and…I saw that you were crazy in love with her, and she with you. And I asked myself, 'if it was you, would you break Neville out of jail despite what the media and government said about him when you knew the truth?" Daphne's voice trailed off and she fell silent.

"What did you answer yourself?" Will asked after a while. "Would you do for the boy you love what I did for the woman I love?" He was genuinely curious to hear what she had decided.

"Yes," she whispered. "Yes I would, without hesitation." She sighed. "It just seems so strange to think of you with another woman in your life. I _want _you to be happy, father, _truly_ I do. I wished for you to find someone who would make you smile and be happy again for the longest time. And yet, part of me secretly hoped you wouldn't and didn't really expect you to. Then suddenly you did, and that secret part flared up."

Daphne turned and looked at him, and he saw the tears on her cheeks. "I miss her, daddy," she said, her voice small and wavering. "I miss her _so much_!"

Will slid out of his chair and knelt in front of Daphne. She leaned forward, reaching her arms out to him as she began sobbing.

"Oh, my poor, sweet, darling daughter," he murmured into her hair as he hugged her. "Please don't think for even one moment of your life that I didn't love your mother. Daphne, I loved your mother with every fiber of my being. She gave me the two greatest blessings that any man could ever hope to have—you and your sister. I miss her too, every day. But whenever I look at you and Astoria, Iyou're your mother…I see her in the color of your eyes, in the way you love to study and learn new things, in your love of potions. I see it in the color of Astoria's hair, in her infectious smile and laugh, her compassion for others and her desire to become a healer."

He leaned back and placed his hands on either side of Daphne's face. "I wish she hadn't had to leave us. I wish that all the time. And no one can replace her. Sometimes I wonder what things would have been like if your mother was still alive, and I had never saved Bellatrix from Azkaban. But I do love Bellatrix. I have loved her since we were both younger than you are now. And I think…I hope that she loves me too."

"She does," Daphne said, smiling through her tears. "I can see it in her eyes when she looks at you, and hear it when she talks. You two are so cute together." She sniffed. "It's going to take a bit of adjustment, but I promise I don't hate her."

Will smiled and hugged his daughter again. "Thank you. Now, I'm still your father, and I say you should nip along to bed. It's very late, and we have a busy week ahead of us.

She laughed and stood while Will returned to his chair. Pausing at the door, she looked back at him. "Good night, father. I love you."

Will smiled. "And I love you too, Daughter. Pleasant dreams."

**(XXX)**

The following Saturday found William taking Astoria to Diagon Alley so she could purchase a few items before returning to school. Astoria had not joined her sister and their friends at the Weasley's house because she didn't want to feel like the only non-coupled person there, and that she see the Weasley's soon enough as it was. So she and her father had spent the day together strolling through both Muggle London and Diagon alley.

They had completed their shopping and were heading back to the pub when Astoria saw Narcissa and Draco heading towards them. Her eyes lit with excitement, and she dug in her bag until she found the gift she'd bought for him back at Christmas, but had never had the opportunity to give him…at least not without giving Pansy a reason for attacking her in jealousy.

"Draco! Mrs. Malfoy!" She called, waving at the pair.

Narcissa frowned as she squinted to see who had called to her. When she saw Astoria Greengrass hurrying toward her, she smiled. Her smile widened when she saw Astoria's father was with her. Now maybe she could get an answer to the question she'd been wondering about for a while.

After the usual pleasantries had been exchanged, Astoria turned to Draco. Blushing profusely, she thrust the book into his hands. "Here, Draco, I got this for you a couple months ago. I—I heard you talking to one of your friends about it."

Draco looked down at the book in surprise. He looked wide-eyed at Astoria. "Thank you?" It sounded like a question, because it had caught him so off guard. But the grin of happiness on Astoria's face indicated she wasn't upset.

"You're welcome!" She replied cheerfully.

Narcissa didn't waste any time, asking the question uppermost in her mind. "So William, how is my sister doing?"

He stared blankly at her for one second before smoothly shrugging his shoulders. "And just how would you expect me to know that, my dear Narcissa?"

"Because she's been at you house for a few months now, has she not?" Narcissa was smirking.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Now if you'll excuse us, we must be heading home now. Come along, Astoria." He turned to go.

Narcissa hadn't actually expected to get William to give up the information so easily, but it had been worth a shot. She now switched to a different tactic: entrapment. She'd often been able to trick William into telling her things when they were growing up by catching him when he was off guard or distracted. Time for a sneak attack.

"They'll just find Bella and take her away from you again, Will;" Narcissa said. "You know that, don't you? The Aurors will find her and take her back to Azkaban. Or the Death Eaters will track her down and bring her to the Dark Lord."

William spun on his heel and leaned close to Narcissa. Eyes narrowed, a look of rage covering his face, he hissed, "And I'll _kill _anyone who tries to take…her…away." His voice trailed off as he realized what he'd just, by default, admitted to. No more point in denying it, he supposed.

William sighed. "Yes, your sister is at my house, and has been since I had her rescued from Azkaban. And she is quite safe." He returned Narcissa's triumphant smirk with a chagrined expression. "Touché. Well played, Cissa. Well played indeed. A classic Slytherin move."

She snorted. "What else would you expect from a Black married to a Malfoy?" Her face grew serious. "I take it that you are responsible for the deaths of Rodolphus and Rabastan as well?"

William smirked, his eyes glinting as he recalled the satisfaction he felt as he saw the life leave Rodolphus Lestrange. "You would be correct in your assumption."

A frown marred Narcissa's face. "You're taking a huge risk, Will." Even though she'd cast a muffliato when they began talking, Narcissa lowered her voice and stepped closer. "The Dark Lord was furious when he found out Bella was missing from Azkaban back in September. Lucius had found out from Fudge and told the Dark Lord. And when the Lestranges turned up dead, he went berserk for a short time, crucioing several of his people and even killing one. He's furious. And when he finds out it was you that did both, he'll send his people after you. _When_, Will, not _if_…he _always _finds out."

"Let him find out," Will snarled. "He's not the strongest wizard out there! His arrogance and egomania will be his undoing. There are forces in play that even _he_ can't hope to defeat, dark lord or not! _Let_ him send people after us—I'll send every one of them back to him in _pieces_!"

"It's not just the Death Eaters, Will…he's got lots of dark creatures in his service."

"So do I, Cissa," Will replied. "So do I. I got your sister out of Azkaban, after all…and there are three dead Dementors to prove it."

Narcissa was worried for her sister. She didn't want Bella taken back to the Dark Lord _or_ prison. But Will did have a point: Dementors were supposed to be unkillable, and yet…

"How is Bella doing, Will?" She needed to know. She needed to know that her big sister was well. Bellatrix had always been there for her and…and her other sister whilst they were growing up, sometimes even taking the blame for things they'd done so that their parents' punishment would fall on her instead.

A smile that only someone who was totally in love could have spread across Will's face, and his eyes got a faraway look in them. "Beautifully. She's so happy, Cissa. It's almost like how it was when we were all at Hogwarts. A little tension between her and Daphne, especially at first. But things seem to be getting better now. And Astoria gets along fine with her, don't you sweetheart?"

Astoria grinned. "I like your sister a lot, Mrs. Malfoy," she said, looking up at Narcissa. "She makes my dad so happy!"

Narcissa felt tears pricking at the corner of her eyes. But, a Black does not show emotion in public…especially not one married to Lucius Malfoy. She turned to Will. "I would like to see her, William." Narcissa had to exert even more willpower to keep the tears from falling at the thought of seeing her beloved sister again after so long.

A slight frown covered Will's face. "That may be a bit difficult. Too many people are beginning to take note of the situation, and I don't want Bella—or you —getting hurt. It might be too risky at the moment. Someone might notice you popping in and out of our house and connect the dots."

The look of sadness that entered Narcissa's eyes melted Will's heart. He sighed. "I'll see what I can do, Cissa. I'm sure we can work something out. I'll talk it over with Bella and we'll see what we can come up with. And I know she would want to see you as well." He paused, looking at Narcissa with his eyes narrowed some. "I should tell you that Bella has patched things up with Andromeda. They spend a lot of time together." He paused again. "Would that be an issue for you?"

Narcissa was shocked. Bella and Andi, on speaking terms? Not only that, but spending time together? In person? Narcissa's head spun. "I…perhaps it would be best if I could see Bella alone first? Just the two of us? I mean, if she has…reconciled with…with Andromeda, then I suppose that's good. But I'm not certain if Andromeda is ready to reconcile with me. Or I her, if I'm being honest."

Will nodded. "I understand. Family dynamics can be tricky, to say the least. Give me a couple days to try and come up with something. In the meantime, please say nothing about this. Bella and I are safe enough at the estate, but I don't want anything happening to my daughters. I've taken certain measures to try and ensure their safety whilst they are at Hogwarts, but even so…I would not be at all pleased if something were to happen to them because someone mentioned this to the wrong people." He looked sharply at Draco, who gulped.

"We won't say anything, Will," Narcissa interjected, noticing the look Will had shot at her son. "I promise."

"Very well," Will rumbled, shooting one last frown at Draco. "At any rate, I think it's time we headed for home. I'll speak with your sister this evening. I'm sure she'll be in touch with you soon. Good evening, Narcissa…Draco." Giving them a nod before turning and starting down the street. "Come along, Astoria," he said over his shoulder.

"Bye Aunt Narcissa and Draco!" Astoria called as she followed her father.

Both Malfoys raised their eyebrows at Astoria's comment, aware that their family dynamics would most likely be changing soon.

Draco and his mother watched the Greengrasses walk away, both staring after them for a long time, Draco noting the way Astoria's long dark hair swayed across her back as she walked. He shook his head, wondering where that thought had come from.

Draco's mind was spinning…his crazy, psychotic Aunt Bella was living with Daphne and Astoria…had been at their house since their father broke her out of Azkaban months ago. Their _father _broke her out of Azkaban! Lord William Greengrass had broken Bellatrix Lestrange out of Azkaban months before the Dark Lord had gotten the other Death Eaters out. Then he'd hunted down and assassinated both the Lestrange brothers. And now, supposedly, his aunt was in her right mind again as well.

Was it possible, Draco wondered. Could Greengrass be as powerful as the Dark Lord himself? If he was…well, that changed things.

How could he leverage this knowledge so that it could benefit him, and his father? Give the info to the Dark Lord, and win his favor? Bribe the Greengrasses with the fact he'd keep his mouth shut in return for money or favors—perhaps a marriage contract between him and Daphne in exchange for his silence? Play both sides against the middle—let his father continue to cozy up to the Dark Lord whilst he attempts to become friends with the Greengrasses?

Even if the Dark Lord was pleased, he was unstable, and there was no guarantee that a reward would be forthcoming. The Dark Lord was notorious for promising things and never delivering on them. And he might instead punish Draco or his father for "withholding" the information from him. Draco dismissed that idea. And if Greengrass was as powerful as Draco was beginning to thin he was, then Draco didn't want to get on his bad side, in case things went poorly for the Death Eaters in this war. He remembered the look Will had given him before leaving, and gulped again.

Bribing Lord Greengrass…someone powerful enough to kill Dementors and make Aunt Bellatrix sane again? He shook his head, dismissing the bribery idea even faster than the last one. The Dark Lord himself did not possess the power to outright kill a Dementor. Besides, a marriage contract was binding. Daphne's father couldn't break it.

That left the last option: becoming friends with the Greengrasses. Daphne hated him. So if he suddenly started cozying up to her she'd see through it. He might hate her (and honestly he wasn't sure why he hated her, really), but she was smart. Probably about as smart as Granger. maybe they could at least declare a truce? That might work.

He looked down at the gift Astoria had given him. It was a rare book about Quidicth that he'd been talking of getting. Astoria must have overheard him telling one of his friends about it in the common room. Daphne might be lost to him, but…Astoria wasn't. She was a couple of years younger than he was, true, and yet she seemed to be rather fond of him for some reason. Perhaps he could build on that.

"Tell no one of this, Draco," Narcissa said, jolting him out of his thoughts. He glanced at her. She was still staring after Astoria and her father.

"But mother, shouldn't we tell father about—"

Narcissa spun towards him, grabbing his shoulders. Her eyes were wide with terror. "_**NO**_, Draco!" Her voice held a note of panic. "Do _not_ tell your father! Tell _**no one**_! The current situation is fluid, and moving too rapidly! Your father would tell you-know-who, and he would go crazy! Bellatrix is my sister, and next to you there is no one that I love more…not even your father. I saw what happened to her all those years ago, and I don't want her going back to that!"

Narcissa glanced back the way Will and Astoria had gone, though they were now out of sight. "Will…Will saved her; saved her in more ways than one. You should have seen them when we were in school, Draco. No one has been deeper in love than they were. And now, at last, they have a chance to be together, as they should have had from the start."

Narcissa's voice had been soft, but when she turned back to Draco her eyes were hard and cold, and a fire burned deep within them. "Tell no one, Draco," she repeated, and her voice held the same cold edge that her eyes did. "It is imperative that we keep this between the two of us. Promise me that you will tell _**no one**_! _Promise_!" She gave his shoulders a shake.

Draco knew that look, knew that tone of voice. His mother rarely took a stand, usually just going along with whatever Lucius dictated, playing the part of the loyal pureblood wife as she had been raised to do. But when she got _that look_ in her eyes, even his father would back down.

"I promise, mother. I won't say anything." And he wouldn't. Draco loved his mother more than anything in the world. She was the bright center of his universe, her love the anchor that kept him from giving in to complete despair. He supposed he loved his father, too; yet it seemed that relationship was built more on fear, and trying to win his father's love and approval. But his mother, she loved him with a pure and abiding love. Draco knew that Narcissa would die for him without hesitation, while Lucius would most likely not. Lucius valued his own skin above everything, and everyone, else.

Satisfied, Narcissa's face softened, and she pulled Draco in for a hug. Draco squeezed his eyes shut to prevent the tears from falling. He would die for his mother, do anything for her. And if she didn't want him telling anyone about his psychotic aunt shaking up with Lord Greengrass, then he wouldn't.

Draco lay awake for a long time that night, thinking over the events of that afternoon. His mind was still a swirling mess of emotions. He glanced at the book Astoria had given him, sitting on the table beside his bed. A gift freely given to him as just a gift, and not as some sort of bribe. And suddenly, out of the swirling mess inside his mind, one thought emerged bright and clear: Draco no longer had any desire to be like his father…..

**(XXX)**

**A/N: There you go. We're getting close to the battle at the Department of Mysteries. I wonder how much it might be the same and yet different?**


	13. Chapter 13: Easter Holidays Part Two

**Easter Holidays, Part Two**

"**What happens to people in love is some kind of mystery;  
Yeah, but what passes for love on the streets these days is a joke.  
So when people like us finally stumble into each other,  
We've got to hold on tight,  
Gotta never, ever let go…"**

The Easter break had flown by in a whirlwind of activities. Besides the gathering at the Weasley's house and the visit to Diagon Alley, there had been a gala (some might call it a ball, as there was dancing involved) to raise money for the Ministry that Will had attended. Since Bella, for very obvious reasons, could not attend with him, Astoria volunteered. The two danced a couple of times, before Draco asked Astoria for a dance…much to Will's shock. Astoria, blushing profusely yet grinning, accepted. Will's mouth hung open in shock as he watched the two dance.

Glancing across the room, he noted that Lucius' mouth was hanging open as well. While Narcissa watched with a satisfied smirk gracing her face. She caught Will's eye and shrugged, causing Will to frown. Did Narcissa know something he didn't?

Unfortunately for Will, he didn't have long to ponder on why his younger daughter was dancing with Draco Malfoy, as a woman he vaguely recognized came up to him, grinning, and asked if he'd like to dance. He couldn't think of a legitimate reason to say no, so with an air of resignation he led the woman onto the dance floor…

He'd managed to escape the gala after just two dances, using the excuse of getting Astoria home as the hour was growing rather late, and the following day was Easter. Bellatrix had waited up to say goodnight to them (and in Will's case, get in a little bit of snogging before bed). William, tired as he was, had too much on his mind and found sleep to be elusive as he pondered Astoria and Draco's sudden interactions…first the book she'd given Draco the week before in Diagon Alley, and Draco asking her to dance at the gala. What in the world was going on with those two?

When Neville arrived to take Daphne to Longbottom House for Easter dinner the following afternoon, Will took him aside after greeting him. "Neville, I know that yours and Daphne's betrothal is sort of a…well, a test betrothal, if you will, but—"

Neville cut him off, blushing for interrupting the older man, but he had to say what was on his mind. "Sir, I swear I don't look at it that way! I—I mean, I know we're still basically just kids and all, but…b-but, Daphne means the world to me! I—I can't begin to imagine going through life without her. She has been such a blessing to me having her by my side at school, let alone when we were growing up. I really do want to..m-marry her, sir. Truly, I do! She makes me want so badly to be a better person. Her encouragement has helped so much. She—she's my world. I can no longer imagine life without her in it."

Neville was staring at Will with such a look of intense honesty that Will almost had his breath taken away. _The boy has it bad…he even repeated himself._ This young man did indeed love Daphne. Will could see it. In Neville's eyes, Will saw a future for Daphne that would never leave her in want of love or protection. And what more could a father pray for his children to have?

Will swallowed hard around the lump that had formed in his throat, and clapped Neville on the shoulder. "Well, then, Mr. Longbottom," Will's voice was thick with emotion. "There's nothing more to be said. You are the answer to what Daphne's mother and I wanted most for her: a man who would love her and take care of her." Then a fond smile appeared on his face. "I should warn you, however, that Daphne can be quite…persistent at times. She may be the epitome of a feminine pureblood heiress, but she can be fierce as well."

Neville gave a shy smile. "I, uh, already know that, sir. She stands up for her convictions and doesn't hesitate to let her feelings be heard. She's fierce, but in a good way."

Will chuckled. "In my experience, young man, I've found that the more feminine a woman is, the fiercer she can be. Her mother was the sweetest, most traditionally pureblood woman I think I've ever met; but by Merlin she was also the fiercest, so protective of those she cared about." He shook his head, still smiling at his memories.

After a few moments lost in the past, Will's mind came back to the present, and he cleared his throat. "At any rate, what I wanted to ask was whether or not you had an engagement ring picked out for Daphne yet."

Neville blushed again. "No, sir, not yet."

"Well, Daphne was set to inherit her mother's ring, and I was wondering if you would like to give her that one. At least for the time being. Someday perhaps you will want to give her your own ring, but this way she'll have a solid reminder of your betrothal. And so will you…if nothing else, it will hopefully keep the other boys away from her, let them know her heart belongs to yours."

Neville froze for a moment before a grin spread across his face. "I would like that very much, sir. Very much!" Then he paused as a frown replaced the grin on his face. "But what of Astoria? Won't she be upset over Daphne getting their mother's ring?"

Will felt his respect for Neville grow at hearing the boy's concern over not wanting to cause bad feelings between his daughters. "The three of us have discussed this issue. When the time arrives that a man comes to claim Astoria's heart, she will receive her grandmother's ring."

Once more turning serious, Will's eyes narrowed and he regarded Neville with a contemplative look. Neville grew nervous the longer Will stared at him. Finally Will spoke. "My daughters mean the world to me. I love them with everything I have in me. They are truly my greatest blessings. I would kill for them, Mr. Longbottom…without hesitation or mercy. And I can see in you that you feel somewhat the same, don't you?"

Neville swallowed. Looking Will in the eye, he straightened his back. "Sir, I would literally die for Daphne if I had to." His voice was so steady and full of absolute conviction in what he'd said that William nodded his head.

"And Daphne feels the same for you, sir," Neville continued after a small pause. 'She's told me how close you two are, especially since her mother died." Neville squared his shoulders again. "And, I'm not angry about…about what you did for…for _her_, breaking her out of prison and bringing her here. Daphne's told you how much the two of you love one another."

Will sighed, closing his eyes. "Neville, please believe me when I say that—that she had nothing to do with the actual…attack on your parents. She even tried to stop it, but…well, anyway, now she carries massive guilt over what happened. I know it doesn't make things right—I'm not sure anything will ever make things right. And I don't expect you to perhaps ever like her. All I can ask is for you to try, at least at some point in the future."

Neville sighed, and his shoulders sagged. "I will try, sir…I _am_ trying. And I know that you and dad were close your last couple of years at Hogwarts. It's just…difficult to do a complete change of mind about someone that you've been told your entire life was responsible for your parents being vegetables." He fell silent, and the two men were again both locked in memories of the past for a time.

Finally Will spoke. "Well, how about I go get you that ring, so the two of you can get out of here." He gestured to Neville before walking into his study. Moving the large portrait of his wife that hung on the wall above his desk aside, he tapped his wand on a small metal door. It opened with a series of clicks and he retrieved a small box from inside. Looking at it misty eyed for a moment, he sighed and handed the box to Neville.

Neville reverently opened the box; he stared at the ring in awe before looking up at Will. "Thank you so much for this, sir. It means a lot."

Will smiled. "My pleasure, young Mr. Longbottom. Now go, find your lady love. I'll send one of the elves to let her know you're here to pick her up." He went to the doorway and called, "Lizzy!" The elf popped up in front of Will almost immediately. "Please go tell Mistress Daphne that Mr. Longbottom is here to escort her to his home for Easter dinner."

Lizzy bowed and disappeared.

Before Neville left the study, Will stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "Remember, Neville," he said when the boy turned to look at him. "Love is much more than just the mushy gushy feelings it gives. The feelings are important, yes. But they come and go. Love is a decision, a commitment not to be taken lightly, that will get you through those times when the feelings thaw. You'll fight and argue. That's just a part of life. But never let it consume you. Renew that commitment daily, and never go to sleep angry at one another."

Neville gave him a weak smile, but the look in his eyes was one of absolute determination. "Yes, sir. And thank you again." The two shook hands and Neville entered into the main hall, his breath disappearing from his lungs as Daphne descended the stairs. _She's so radiant and beautiful and gorgeous and…and mine. She's mine, and I'm hers And I shouldn't be. She deserves so much better than me._

Will was peeking through the study door when Neville greeted Daphne. They exchanged a brief hug before Neville showed her the box Will had given him. When Neville opened it and Daphne saw her mother's ring, her hands flew to her mouth and she looked up at Neville, clearly asking him something because he grinned and nodded, dropping to one knee as Daphne held out her left hand to him, her other hand still covering her mouth.

Neville slipped the ring on it and then kissed her hand. When he stood, Daphne flung herself against him and the two shared a longer hug before they stepped apart once more. Neville offered her his arm, and the two headed into the sitting room to use the floo.

Will smiled. His baby was a woman now. "I wish you could have seen that, Mary," he whispered_. _

"She knows, dear boy," a voice whispered in his ear. "She knows."

Will smiled as his eyes filled with tears. "Thank you, Lady," he whispered back.

**(XXX)**

Will didn't have much of an issue with Daphne spending the night at the Longbottom house. Besides the teens' pureblood upbringing, which stressed the issues of remaining pure in more ways than just bloodlines, he knew Augusta was a very strict and proper woman in her own right, and would make certain that "nothing happened" between Neville and Daphne…well, outside of a good bit of snogging, which Will felt was inevitable, even if as a father he didn't like the idea one bit.

Besides, if he was honest with himself, he and Bellatrix were struggling a little bit in that particular area themselves, even as adults who had both been married to other people previously. So he couldn't find _too_ much fault with his daughter and Neville for the intense romantic feelings they had for one another. But still…it bothered him. He reckoned it must be a "dad" thing.

The thought occurred to him the evening after the girls had returned to Hogwarts. Bellatrix was snuggling with him on the sofa in his study, sitting across his lap. He was trailing kisses down the side of her face, along her jaw, and down her neck. Her eyes were closed and a content smile graced her expression.

"Oh William," she sighed huskily. "You have no idea how badly I want you right now!"

He grunted, still kissing her neck. "If it's half as much as I want _you_," he mumbled, "then yes, I do have _some _idea."

She turned her head and pressed her lips to his, her arms snaking around his back as she pulled him closer. With a soft groan, he returned the kiss with equal vigor. After several minutes of this, Bellatrix pulled her head back, out of breath, but still keeping her arms around him. Her face bore a frustrated expression.

"If it wasn't for this blasted pureblood upbringing and its distaste of fornication, I'd drag you over to that desk and let you shag me right there!" She grinned, her mind calling up images that she knew she shouldn't be calling up at that moment. But she enjoyed them nonetheless.

Will snorted, smirking at her. "I could think of a couple places that might be a bit more comfortable than my desk for such an activity."

She rested her forehead against his and pouted, a hungry look in her eyes. "Forget comfort…I just _want _you!" She slammed her lips against his again. He depend the kiss whilst his hands crept up her back, and she wrapped her arms around him possessively.

As their snogging continued to grow in intensity, and both their minds began picturing things best not thought about at the moment, she broke the kiss again. Breathing heavily, she placed her hands against his chest. They smirked at each other for several moments before Bellatrix sniffed and raised her chin, fluttering her eyelids. "No…we are purebloods of ancient and noble houses. We do not fornicate like common mudbloods!" Then she leaned in and rested her forehead against his, her arms snaking around him again, and flashed a wicked smile. "But _Merlin_, do I want to!" Her voice was husky and seductive.

Will grinned back at her, just as wickedly. "Yes, we do need to behave ourselves. Besides, who would want to open their presents before Christmas?"

Bellatrix smirked. "I _never_ let that _filthy_ Lestrange open his present. I _hated_ the mongrel! I only married him for mum and dad's sake. I suppose if the war hadn't started up so soon after we left school I would have had to consummate the marriage at some point, so there'd be an heir." She chuckled. "Seems the Dark Lord was good for something _after_ all…he spared me the disgusting indignity of ever having to share a bed with Rudolphus."

To say that Will was surprised by this news would be a gross understatement. His eyebrows shot up and his mouth gaped. Bellatrix laughed at the stunned look he was giving her. "Yes, my love, you get to be my first…and only! Don't look so surprised. You've had dibs on me since we were kids. My heart has always belonged to you, all our lives…even though neither of us knew it."

"Talk about gifts," Will murmured. Then he dropped his eyes. "I—I don't have any gift like that to give to you."

Bellatrix put a finger under his chin and raised his head till he was looking in her eyes. "You are the best, most perfect gift I could ever hope to have, my darling." She kissed him once more, rather chastely this time, and then snuggled her head against his again with a content sigh.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, snuggling by the fire. William thought it might be a good time to honor his promise to Narcissa. "Love, Astoria and I ran into Narcissa when we were in Diagon Alley during the girls' holiday."

He felt Bella stiffen but she remained silent.

"She misses you. She wants to see you. I told her I'd pass along her message." Will was watching Bellatrix face. She was staring into space while a little frown played around her lips.

"How did she know I was here?" The question was soft, and Will sensed a small amount of fear in her voice.

Will sighed. "Your sister is a quintessential Slytherin…she tricked it out of me, the little minx." His voice had a sheepish tone to it as he recalled how very easy it had been for Narcissa to bait him.

Bellatrix burst out with a cackle. "Oh, that Cissy! Always the sneak!" She turned back to Will with a grin, snuggling against him. "Don't worry, my darling…I'm not upset. When we were kids, she used to trick both Andi and me as well. It's probably how she's been able to manage that idiot husband of hers all these years.

"She promised not to say anything, even to Lucius."

Bella smiled. "When Cissy gives her word, she won't break it. Our secret is safe with my baby sister. Andi has kept it secret too, and her daughter's an auror, for Merlin's sake. No, we're safe enough with my sisters knowing." She smiled wistfully. "Wouldn't it be nice if the three of us can all be together again?"

Will smiled, but didn't tell her about Narccisa's comment regarding Andromeda. "Yes, it would my love. And Sirius too."

Bella scoffed. "Oh, Siri will never accept me or Cissy again! I'm afraid he's too goody—goody for that!" Then a wistful expression covere her face. "Still, yes…yes, you're quite right, Will: it _would_ be nice for what's left of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black to be together again." She fell silent, and the two enjoyed each other's presence, snuggling peacefully on the couch far into the evening…without a doubt, snuggling with one another was their primary way of passing the days.

**(XXX)**

The following morning, Will sent an owl to Narcissa with a scrambled letter informing her that her sister did indeed wish to see her. He told her they would be in the Alley Saturday evening. She sent her own scrambled letter back that same afternoon, letting him know she see them then, and to give Bellatrix her love.

"We need to visit Borgin and Burkes this weekend," Will announced at dinner. "I've tracked your wand down to their shop. Narcissa will meet us there. She sends you her love, by the way."

Bellatrix smiled at Narcissa's words of affection, then frowned and scoffed. "What are those disgusting old men doing with _my wand_?"

Will shrugged. "Most likely one of the Aurors who arrested you stole it and sold it to them, hoping for a quick buck. Not sure why they've held onto it for so many years. I'd think the wand of the infamous Bellatrix Lestrange would be worth a considerable amount."

Bella smirked. "I put a curse on it so that if anyone but me tried to use it would emit a variant of the killing curse as soon as they said a spell." She cackled. "I wonder how many people it's killed over the years I was rotting in Azkaban."

Then she turned serious. "I confess I'm a bit nervous about seeing Cissy again," she said. "I'm not so certain she'll be happy that I've made things up with Andi."

Will smiled and pulled her to his side. She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed. "Everything will work out, Love. I promise." _The Lady said it would, so I know it will._

**(XXX)**

About a week after returning to Hogwarts from the Easter break, Draco had finally worked up the courage to put his own plan into motion and speak with Daphne.

Entering the common room after his prefect rounds, Draco's resolve dimmed a little as he caught sight of Daphne. She was sitting on one of the couches, legs curled underneath her, face scrunched up as she went over an essay. There were only a couple others in the common room, scattered in far corners studying, and none of them were near Daphne. He sighed. It was now or never. Squaring his shoulders, he walked over to where she was sitting.

"Greengr-Daphne, may I speak with you for a moment, please?"

Startled, she looked up at Draco. Her eyebrows rising in surprise before suspicion covered her face, a frown replacing the initial surprised look. Her eyes narrowed.

Draco swallowed hard, trying not to gulp under Daphne's cold stare.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" She muttered after staring at him in silence for several moments.

Draco gestured at the couch beside her. Daphne glanced at it, understanding his request, before looking back at him and giving a curt nod. As he sat, Draco cast a muffliato just to be safe.

"Now…what do you want?" Daphne asked, sitting up straight and folding her arms across her torso.

Not certain about how to begin, Draco said the first thing that came to his mind. "I know Aunt Bella is at your house."

Daphne's face went blank, her ice queen persona falling firmly into place as she looked him in the eye and said, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

His signature smirk covered his face, and he lowered his voice. "You can drop the act, Daphne…my mum and I met your sister and dad in Diagon Alley over the break, and mum tricked it out of your dad."

Daphne continued to stare at him, judging the truth of his words. Draco sighed as she remained silent. "Don't worry. Mum promised your dad she wouldn't tell anyone, not even my dad. Go ahead and call me a mommy's boy if you'd like, but my mum is everything to me. If she tells me to do something or not do it, I listen to her. I haven't told anyone, and I won't."

He sighed and looked away a moment before continuing. "Look, I'm tired of us fighting all the time. I want to call a truce between us, okay?"

Daphne frowned. "A…truce?" She repeated slowly.

Draco sighed again and ran his hand through his hair. "Yes, Greengr—Daphne. A truce. Look, I'm not saying we have to be friends and start hanging out together, but I just want us to at least _try _and get along. I'm tired of the fighting. I mean, we used to be friends, back when we were kids."

"I think this is the first real, _decent_ conversation I've had with you since we _were_ kids, Draco," Daphne told him, giving him a small but warm smile.

A slight blush covered his face, and he smirked. "Well, don't get used to it. After all, I do have the Malfoy reputation to uphold."

Daphne rewarded his comment with one of her rare, genuine laughs, which sounded so musical it made the blush on Draco's face deepen. _Longbottom sure lucked out, _Draco thought, _winning the heart of a girl like Daphne. No one could ever love me that way…no one decent, at any rate, not after all the things I've done._ He fidgeted, rubbing the back of his neck a moment before extending his hand to Daphne with a nervous smile. "So…truce then?" He asked.

Daphne didn't speak. She was staring at him with narrowed eyes, contemplating how much truth there was in his words. As the silence stretched on, Draco grew more apprehensive. swallowing hard, he tried sweetening the deal. "Either way, I promise I won't tell anyone that my crazy aunt is hiding at your house."

A small frown crossed her face. "She's not crazy, Draco…well, not anymore. She and my father love each other deeply."

Draco wanted to scoff. Of course, he barely remembered his aunt Bellatrix. But from what he'd come to know about her over the years—mostly from other former Deatheaters and even from his mother herself (who always tried to defend Bellatrix's past actions), Draco knew that she was mentally unstable at best. And he wondered if she was even capable of loving _anyone_ outside of the Dark Lord.

But Daphne seemed to truly believe his aunt loved her father, and Draco decided to give Daphne the benefit of the doubt. She had been around his aunt far more than he had, after all. He thought if the occasion ever presented itself, that he would ask Astoria about his aunt and her father as well, to see what her response would be. And if Astoria believed the two were in love, then so would Draco.

And Draco wondered…when had he come to put so much faith in the Greengrass sisters' words?

"Truce?" Draco repeated, his hand still extended towards Daphne. "Please?" He hoped he sound sincere enough without sounding desperate. For some reason, it was important to Draco that Daphne and Astoria believe him, although he wasn't certain just exactly why it was important to him…he only knew that it was.

Daphne glanced at his hand, then looked into his eyes, scrutinizing his intentions. She saw nothing but sincerity in Draco's eyes, which surprised her considering the fact that Draco almost always had some scheme in the back of his mind. But she saw nothing else in his eyes now.

Returning his smile, Daphne shook his hand. "Yes, Draco…we have a truce." She lowered her voice and leaned a little closer to him. "But please stop referring to Hermione as a 'mudblood'. It's so uncouth, Draco. Even for you."

Draco snorted. "Oh come on, Daphne…I've heard you use that word plenty of times yourself over the years."

Daphne shrugged. "Well, that was before I met Hermione and found out that not _all_ muggleborns are scum. Hermione is an amazing girl. And she's loyal to her friends…yes, sometimes to a fault" she added with a smirk when Draco made a face. "But I value loyalty in people, Draco." She gave the boy a rather pointed look when she said that, causing him to gulp.

He gripped her hand tighter. "I do want a truce between us. And on my own…I swear my father didn't put me up to this." He sighed again. "In fact, if he knew about this, he'd probably be angry that I reached out to you." Draco shook his head. "It's weird how much our fathers dislike each other. They were friends when they were at Hogwarts. They're both purebloods and both our families are in the Sacred 28. I'm not sure what happened to drive such a wedge between them. Probably it was something about you-know-who. I know my father thinks your father should drop his neutral stance."

Daphne shook her head. "The Greengrass family has always been neutral, Draco. And it always will be. Tell your father he's wasting his time."

Draco snorted again. "Father thinks he can convince anyone of anything. And if he can't convince them, he tries to bribe or intimidate them." Draco paused a moment. "And I think he's actually a little bit afraid of your dad."

Daphne's smile was cold. "As well he should be. My father can be a very dangerous wizard."

Draco snorted. "Especially now that he has my crazy aunt on his side."

Daphne frowned. "Please stop calling her that, Draco. I told you, she's not crazy."

Draco shrugged, holding up his hands. "I believe you. All I'm saying is that if she's as deeply in love with your dad as she was devoted to the Dark Lord, then your father is well protected. Aunt Bella is a very powerful and dangerous witch."

Daphne smirked. "Oh, trust me when I say they are crazy about _each other_. It's almost like my father is a schoolboy with his first crush again."

Draco sighed. "They have a lot of time to make up for. My mother told me how deeply in love they were when they were students here. And how my grandfather ruined everything. I know my word might not mean much to you at present, but I give you my word that I won't say anything to anyone about Aunt Bella. Just, give me a chance to show you that I'm trying to change."

There was such a desperate, pleading look in his eyes that Daphne found her reluctance starting to depart. She nodded. "Alright, Draco. I'll give you a chance. You're right, we all did used to have fun hanging out. Who knows, maybe we can reach that point again. Please, though-ease up on Hermione, and keep your gang off poor Nev's back…after all, he's a pureblood too."

Draco nodded. "Got it. Thanks, Daphne." He smiled and stood. Before heading up to the boys dorm, he paused and turned back to Daphne. "Just out of curiosity, why are you giving me a second chance? I haven't had a chance to really prove myself trustworthy to you yet."

Daphne gave him another sincere smile. "You have, to an extent. You've kept the secret about my father and your aunt. Besides, "Nev is giving your aunt a chance as well. He has every reason to hate her, and if he can give her a chance, I can give you one. After all, I don't hate you."

Draco raised his eyebrows. "You don't?"

Daphne smirked. "Of course I don't _hate_ you…I just really, really don't _like_ you."

Draco barked out a laugh, running his hand through his hair again. "Thanks. Night, Greengrass."

"Night Malfoy." Soon after Draco had departed for his room, Daphne sighed and headed for her own.

**A/N: Well, it's only been four months since I updated this one. :/ Guess I got too carried away on my other stories. If anyone is reading this, and cares, I apologize for the delay. One day seems to run into another for me. Anyway, hope you enjoy. Department of Mysteries is coming next chapter…and there might be a couple of surprises. **


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